© Michele Nucci
Coach Gordon Herbert even treated himself to a Paulaner Helles beer in the VIP lounge before midnight—a rare occurrence for him, as he usually only does so “after a really good win,” as he mentioned in an interview with the new “Mid-Season Magazin” of Bayern Basketball (now available for free at home games). Calling it a "good win" is probably an understatement, given the dramatic 95-94 triumph by the German champions over the favored French champion, AS Monaco. The visible frustration of the Monaco entourage after Nick Weiler-Babb’s decisive defensive play against reigning EuroLeague MVP Mike James was just as telling of Munich’s coup as the reactions of the 11,200 fans and their team.
But there’s no time to rest, especially not for Herbert. “I’m going home now to watch the game again, and starting tomorrow (Thursday), I’ll focus on Bologna,” said the Canadian coach. “But the guys should enjoy this moment for now.”
The tactical meeting at noon on Thursday marked the beginning of preparations for Virtus Bologna. The Italians' sold-out visit completes the sixth double-week of the EuroLeague on Friday evening (8:30 PM, SAP Garden/MagentaSport). Another home victory for FC Bayern Basketball would amplify the significance of the upset against Monaco, especially given the extraordinarily tight standings: With a 12-9 record, Bayern is just one game behind third-place Monaco and currently in a play-in spot—but also only one game ahead of eleventh-place Kaunas (11-10).
Virtus Successful with New Coach
Bologna, currently sitting in 15th place (6-15), is out of the postseason race for now. However, since the coaching change to Dusko Ivanovic in mid-December, the former EuroLeague champion has won four games, including an 86-81 victory over Barcelona. On Wednesday, Virtus lost 68-77 (32-41) in Kaunas, with French national player Isaia Cordinier leading the scoring (18 points, averaging 13.5 PPG). Their top scorer is Tornike Shengelia (15.2 PPG), while former Finals MVP Will Clyburn (13.8 PPG) has missed the last two games.
“Bologna is a team with nothing left to lose, which makes them dangerous,” said Coach Herbert after an initial study of the opponent early Thursday morning. “They’ve been playing much better in recent weeks and are well-organized. Our win against Monaco only matters if we also win this game.”
For Bayern, "Player of the Game" Nick Weiler-Babb and Oscar da Silva, despite not being fully recovered from their injuries, aim to contribute to securing the 13th win of the season. Additionally, team captain Vladimir Lucic participated in his first contact training session in three months on Thursday. Welcome back!