The next drama, this time without a happy ending: The Bayern basketball team deserved to win on Friday evening in the Zalgirio Arena in Kaunas, sold out with 15,000 fans, but unfortunately lost in the final seconds 73:74 (43:41). The Lithuanians thus secured their fourth EuroLeague victory instead of Munich (3:6).
Once again without Bonga and Obst
The guests, led by Serge Ibaka (20 points, 7 rebounds), delivered a strong performance in the noisy arena, especially considering they had to do without Bonga, Obst, and Lucic again. On Sunday, FCBB will host Ludwigsburg at the fully-packed BMW Park starting at 3:30 PM.
Zalgiris Kaunas - FC Bayern Basketball 74:73 (41:43)
FCBB:
Serge Ibaka (20 Points, 7 Rebounds), Leandro Bolmaro (12, 6 Rebounds, 4 Assists), Nick Weiler-Babb (11, 7 Rebounds, 5 Assists), Devin Booker (8), Carsen Edwards (6), Danko Brankovic (4), Ivan Kharchenkov (4), Sylvain Francisco (3), Niels Giffey (3), Niklas Wimberg (2), Freddie Gillespie, Nelson Weidemann
Topscorer Zalgiris Kaunas:
Smits (16 Punkte)
Referee
Miguel Angel Perez, Marcin Kowalski, Alberto Baena
Attendance
15.034
The Bayern started with a 7:2 lead but made it difficult for themselves due to turnovers and ample space given to Kaunas' three-point shooters like Smits (16 points). The highest deficit was 21:31 before the defense became more aggressive. Brankovic's actions, the first four EuroLeague points from the 17-year-old youngster Kharchenkov, and a three-pointer from Weiler-Babb led to a fine 12:0 run, turning the score around to 39:37 by the 18th minute.
Ibaka's leadership, last shot missed
After the break, Bayern surged ahead to 55:46 (26.), but the game remained open. The home team's percentages dropped, and now it had to be about rebounds. Ibaka led the charge, but two turnovers allowed the Lithuanians to equalize - 57:57 (29.).
The last minutes were moments of missed opportunities, until with 29 seconds remaining, Ibaka, of all people, took the decisive shot, hitting the three-pointer for the lead, 73:72! However, with nine seconds left, Evans countered for Kaunas - and Bolmaro's last jumper didn't fall.
Quotes:
Pablo Laso, Headcoach FC Bayern Basketball: "Congratulations to Zalgiris on the win. They fought hard to get back into the game. At times, we had control of the game. We played good basketball, moved the ball well, and found good shots. We did better than before. However, our shooting percentages weren't as good in crucial moments. We were strong in turnovers and rebounds; based on those stats, we should have been ahead by 20 points, but we lost the game. If Leandro had made the last shot, we would be talking about something else, but it wasn't meant to be. It was a regular double-week game where both teams looked very tired at the end. We missed a few open shots, but not just us, they did too. Both teams performed well and fought until the end. It's disappointing for us that we were so close to a win in such a challenging arena and still lost."
Niklas Wimberg: "That was an extremely frustrating loss, it hurts a lot and could hurt us later in the season as well. We played well and created good shots for ourselves, which unfortunately we didn't make. It's very bitter, but we don't even have 48 hours until the next game, so it's about quickly recovering and moving on."
