Bayerns Formidable Offensive Show Against Paris

So important, so thrilling: In front of 11,200 fans, FC Bayern Basketball triumphed in an exhilarating high-scoring duel, narrowly defeating Paris, the conqueror of Panathinaikos and EuroCup champion, 109-107 (54-47). Led by Edwards (32 points, 6 three-pointers) and Napier (24), the German champions overcame many tough moments in their third game since Sunday.

Gordie Herbert's team will next host EuroLeague title contender Olympiakos in a sold-out SAP Garden in a week (October 25), now standing with a record of 2-2 wins.

All the stats from the game

The injury-plagued Bayern—again without their leaders Lucic and Giffey, and with Voigtmann also present despite a stomach virus—needed a moment to shake off the fatigue from a week of travel (6-11/4). But then their transition defense solidified, the rebounds were under control, and Napier kicked off his three-point showcase—48-35 (18th minute).

The only criticism in a lively first half was the offensive rebounds allowed to Paris, after which Booker (14) and Napier (13) had already scored in double figures.

A Question of Strength

It would become a question of strength, which became clear with the resumption after various missed shots. Deep plays to Booker were the clever alternative, but Paris picked up the pace with their guards (73-74/29).

Top scorer Edwards now led the charge irresistibly (87-78/32), while da Silva worked hard on the boards. However, Paris countered from the outside, leveling the score at 89-89 (35). Veteran Napier hit the last big shot to make it 106-101 (-42 seconds), while Shorts missed the final chance for the French team.

The Reactions:

Gordon Herbert: “The game was a rollercoaster; the momentum shifted back and forth. We were ahead a few times, but they always came back. Both teams made some incredible shots. Carsen Edwards made big shots in the fourth quarter. It was a good win, but there is plenty to improve. (…) Vladimir and Niels are out; they are our two three-point shooters, which creates a small problem in our defensive rotation. Both play hard; they are physical, and we lost that fighting spirit. You could see it today; we lost some battles. However, Vladimir should be back next week.

(…) Shabazz’s biggest contribution was his leadership on the court. (…) It’s the fourth game in eight days for the players, but we fought through; Carsen played the entire second half, and the players deserve a lot of credit for the mental toughness they showed.”

Marko Pesic: “I’m happy for the team. (…) With a 2-2 record, we are in a good place and can be satisfied. Paris is playing the best basketball of all the teams right now; they could have won the first two games as well. (…) We have now traveled half of Europe in a week; we were in Athens, Bonn, Belgrade, and now back here. Now they played until 11:15 PM. Luckily, we won. However, the BBL needs to start thinking. They forced us to play the first game against Chemnitz because the champion should play first – fine, let’s do it. (…) Now they are making us play at 4 PM on a Saturday immediately after a double week due to a TV schedule with MBC. (…) That’s irresponsible towards the players. If the BBL thinks that this is how to promote the product, they are mistaken. Basketball is a players’ game. But no one asks the players.”

Devin Booker: “It was harder than it should have been; we made a lot of mistakes, and we could have controlled the game better. But in the end, we won, so I can’t complain too much. We came out today and had a lot of fun playing in front of our fans. Luckily for us, Shorts missed at the end.”

Carsen Edwards: “I could have done a lot of things better, especially at the rim. But I’m just happy that we won. Every game is an opportunity for us to get better.”

Oscar da Silva: “It’s always good to have the fans behind us, and we put on a show for them today, but it was much more exciting than it needed to be. A win is a win, but we have a lot of work ahead of us. It’s good that we were able to take care of the ball because turnovers have hurt us in the last games. Today, we must consider the standout performances from Booker, Napier, and Edwards. Without some of their incredible baskets, this might have turned out differently. We definitely need to improve on the defensive end and ensure that we can secure wins through our defense, not just our offense.

Upcoming Games for FCBB

• Saturday, October 19, 4 PM: 5th Matchday of easyCredit BBL, Syntainics MBC – FCBB

• Friday, October 25, 8:45 PM: 5th EuroLeague Matchday, FCBB – Olympiakos Piraeus (SAP Garden)

• Sunday, October 27, 4:30 PM: 6th BBL Matchday: FCBB – Fit/One Würzburg Baskets (BMW Park)

• Tuesday, October 29, 9 PM: 6th EuroLeague Matchday, Virtus Bologna – FCBB