After seven consecutive EuroLeague away games, FC Bayern Basketball finally returns to the SAP Garden on the day before Christmas Eve. However, even on their own court, the Munich team are considered underdogs against newcomers Hapoel Tel Aviv (tip-off at 7:30 p.m. / MagentaSport): The massively reinforced EuroCup champion from Israel sits at the top of the standings in the premier competition, with only five losses so far, just before the halfway point of the season. For the 18th round matchup, more than 10,000 tickets have already been sold.
Micic the top signing
As in previous years, there were no limits to Hapoel’s roster planning, especially after entering the EuroLeague: The record signing of two-time EuroLeague MVP Vasilije Micic (who played for FCBB from 2014 to 2015) from the NBA alone surpassed all previous dimensions this summer. The rest of the squad is also filled with big names: Whether it’s Chris Jones (Valencia) or the duo Dan Oturu/Elijah Bryant brought in from Efes Istanbul – the new rival to Israel’s previous top dog, local rival Maccabi, spared no expense in the transfer market.
The investments in a very deep and high-quality roster are clearly paying off: While Micic is, as usual, directing play strongly with an average of 12.1 points and 4.1 assists, Bryant’s form has truly exploded: The 2021 NBA champion is averaging 15.4 points (39.7% three-point shooting), 6.1 rebounds, and 3.2 assists. These numbers make the tall guard one of the contenders for the MVP title. In addition to Micic, Bayern will see another familiar face: Yam Madar, who was under contract in Munich at the start of last season, has been playing again for his youth club since last December.
After the Israelis had to play their home games in the Bulgarian capital Sofia until a few weeks ago, coach Dimitris Itoudis’s team (EuroLeague champion in 2016 and 2019) is now allowed to play at home again; although the premiere a week ago against Crvena Zvezda Belgrade (84:78) took place in Jerusalem due to their usual arena being occupied. Two days later, they suffered an 82:93 defeat at Panathinaikos Athens.
