Bayern suffers a dramatic loss against Tel Aviv

The last game matters: The fate of FC Bayern Basketball’s postseason in the EuroLeague will be decided on the 34th and final game day. On Thursday evening, the Munich team suffered a highly dramatic 90-93 (44-48) loss to Maccabi Tel Aviv in Belgrade, missing out on their 20th win of the season. Despite holding a clear lead, FCBB couldn’t see it through in the final quarter.

Boxscore

Booker returns after 60 days

For their regular-season finale, Gordon Herbert’s team will host Fenerbahce Istanbul next Thursday (8:30 PM/MagentaSport). But first, the league leaders will face fifth-placed Braunschweig in the BBL on Sunday (6:00 PM/Dyn) at BMW Park.

Sixty days after his knee injury, center Booker finally returned to the squad, leaving da Silva as Bayern’s only remaining absentee. The American made an immediate impact, sinking Munich’s first shot of the game—a three-pointer.

26 Edwards points in the third Quarter

Maccabi found success scoring in the paint (9:14/7 min.), but Harris’ physical defense, Napier’s offensive confidence, and Giffey’s buzzer-beater three-pointer fueled Bayern’s momentum at the end of the first quarter—22:17.

The momentum shifted again as Bayern struggled with one-on-one defense against Maccabi’s guards (24:29/14 min.). Additionally, Tel Aviv dominated the boards in the first half, nearly doubling Bayern’s rebounds (11:20).

Coming out of the locker room, Bayern responded aggressively with a 13-2 run to take a 57:50 lead (25 min.). Top scorer Edwards (33 points), who had yet to make a field goal, suddenly caught fire—draining eight of nine three-pointers! He racked up 26 points in the third quarter, pushing Bayern to a commanding 74:61 lead.

Clear lead not enough

The advantage even grew to 77:61, but with nine minutes left, nerves set in. After committing only four turnovers in the first half, Bayern suddenly struggled. The lead shrank to just two points (81:83/37 min.), setting the stage for late-game drama. Bayern managed only two free throws in the final three and a half minutes, allowing Maccabi to tie the game at 87:87 (1:01 min.). Three controversial possessions went Maccabi’s way, and they sealed the win from the free-throw line.

Quotes:

Gordon Herbert, Head Coach FC Bayern Basketball: "Congratulations to Maccabi. We had a tough first half but fought back with a very strong third quarter. However, in the fourth, we had five or six turnovers, and they started hitting some threes. In the end, we had good, open shots when we were up by four and two points—we just didn’t make them."

Elias Harris: "After a poor first half, everything fell apart in the end. When you're leading, you have to close out the game. We didn’t do that. It all started with our defense, right from the first minute."

Shabazz Napier: "Maccabi played until the very end, and we made some costly mistakes down the stretch. We missed shots and turned the ball over. This loss makes things harder for us, but now we just have to focus on the next game against Fenerbahce. We want to win that game. It will be tough, but making the playoffs is never easy."