FC Bayern's basketball team will travel to Milan for the decisive game five of the EuroLeague playoffs with a fresh sense of achievement: head coach Andrea Trinchieri's team won its 32nd game in the BBL at BG Göttingen, which has returned from quarantine, just 40 hours after the historical 85-82 win in Game 4 against Milan. It was the 24th victory and they remain in third place in the BBL. Trinchieri left out Baldwin, Lucic, Gist and Sisko as well as Seeley and Zipser in view of the upcoming deciding game at Olimpia in two days. Instead, Erol Ersek, 22, captain of the successful second team from the ProB, made his debut with the professionals; the other youngsters Matej Rudan, 20, Sasha Grant, 19, and Jason George, 19, also received a lot of playing time and participated in a serious matchup. The quartet came together for almost 100 minutes and 54 points, Grant was the top scorer with 21 points ahead of Erek (17 without a miss). On the other side, FCBB loanee Nelson Weidemann scored 14 points.

The Munich team will travel on to Milan on Sunday evening. There, the biggest game in the club's history on the international stage is scheduled for Tuesday evening - playoff duel number five at Italian co-favorite Armani Olimpia for a place in the EuroLeague Final Four (May 28-30). The game kicks off at 20:45 on Tuesday, with MagentaSport broadcasting its show from a studio at the Audi Dome from 20:15.

 

Points per quarter Bayern - Goettingen: 25-26, 27-18, 25-18, 25-28

Stats: Two-point shooting: 66% (FCBB) // 43% (Goettingen); Three-point shooting: 40% // 37%; Free-throw sooting: 81% // 76%; Rebounds: 40//34; Assists: 26 //14; Turnovers: 10// 6.

Quotes:
Andrea Trinchieri: "It's really hard to have a league game in the middle of a playoff series in the EuroLeague. It's difficult for everyone and today I'm very happy that I was able to leave six players out and four experienced ones had less minutes but led the team. I think we did a very good job given our situation and this special moment in the season."   

Erol Ersek: "I found out two days ago that I would play because we had another ProB game yesterday and traveled directly. I was already nervous, but the coach gave me a lot of confidence and it worked. As soon as I made the first one, I kept hitting. It's the position I like to play the most. I like to have the ball in my hands and if I get the confidence to do that, it's nothing new for me."

Goettingen coach, Roel Moors: "Of course, this was not an easy game, but that goes for both teams today. On offense, we had little rhythm and didn't move the ball well. But the positive things for me were the 16 offensive rebounds and only six turnovers. The biggest problem today was the defense."

Game recap
Two days before the EuroLeague showdown at Olimpia Milan, Trinchieri started Diego Flaccadori, David Krämer, Robin Amaize, Matej Rudan and Jalen Reynolds at 10th-ranked BG. The second-to-last away game of the BBL regular season started intensely. Both teams tried their luck near the basket and collected team fouls early. Flaccadori gave the guests their first lead after two minutes (6-4). After five minutes Erol Ersek celebrated his debut with the professionals but the man of the first quarter was center Reynolds, who was successful from the middle distance and after seven minutes scored eight points, three rebounds  (4/5). Despite his play, Munich was behind two minutes before the first quarter break, but Ersek's first shot from the outside hit to tie the game (21-21/th). At the end of the quarter Bayern trailed 26-25.

At the beginning of the second quarter, Ersek's self-confidence showed, which the Austrian has show all along in his fabulous ProB season. His second shot from deep also found its way into the basket (28-26/11th). From the middle of the second quarter, Reynolds and Sasha Grant took over again, helping Bayern go on a 9-0 run to pull away a bit more clearly for the first time (44-37/16th). Goettingen tried to interrupt the run of the guests with a timeout, but the two more youngsters Jason George and Matej Rudan extended the run  and took the first double-digit lead of the game (47-37/17th). In total, Munich's youngsters contributed 21 points in 45 minutes of play already in the first half - 52-44.

The guests brought the momentum with them out of the locker room at the end of the first half and further extended the lead through JaJuan Johnson and threes by George as well as Amaize (60-45/24th). Munich continued to show a highly concentrated approach and Sasha Grant hit his third three-pointer and scored in double figures for the first time in the BBL (65-51/25th).The Italian, Flaccadori, was mainly responsible for controlling the ball for the FCBB and already achieved a double-double with ten points and eleven assists in 25 minutes of play in the course of the third quarter before he was allowed to take a seat on the bench and let Ersek to set up the game (67-53/27th). Still under Ersek's leadership, Bayern kept control - 77-62.

At the start of the final quarter Grant continued to diligently build on his career high, hitting his fourth three-pointer on just five attempts and getting to 18 points early in the fourth quarter (84-69/33rd). Ersek was in no way letting Grant steal the show and remained flawless from the field as well as from the line (92-73/36th). The game was decided early and the only questions for Bayern was whether the 100-point mark would still be cracked - Ersek succeeded with his third three-pointer in the third attempt (101-83/39th).

 

d nur sechs Ballverluste. Das größte Problem war heute die Defensive.“

Das Spiel:

Zwei Tage vor dem EuroLeague-Showdown bei Olimpia Mailand startete Trinchieri mit Diego Flaccadori, David Krämer, Robin Amaize, Matej Rudan und Jalen Reynolds bei der zehntplatzierten BG. Die vorletzte Auswärtspartie der BBL-Hauptrunde startete intensiv. Beide Mannschaften versuchten ihr Glück in Korbnähe und sammelten früh Teamfouls. Flaccadori brachte den Gästen die erste Führung nach zwei Minuten (6:4). Nach fünf Minuten feierte Erol Ersek sein Debüt bei den Profis. Mann des ersten Viertels war Center Reynolds, der vor allem aus der Mitteldistanz erfolgreich war und nach sieben Minuten bereits acht Punkte, drei Rebounds bei starker Quote (4/5) auf das Scoreboard brachte. Trotz des gut aufgelegten Mannes aus Detroit lagen die Bayern zwei Minuten vor der ersten Viertelpause zurück, doch Erseks erster Wurf von draußen saß zum Ausgleich (21:21/8.) – 25:26 hieß es nach dem ersten Viertel.

Zu Beginn des zweiten Abschnitts zeigte sich Erseks Selbstvertrauen, das der Österreicher in seiner famosen ProB-Saison sammelte. Auch sein zweiter Distanzwurf fand den Weg in den Korb (28:26/11.). Ab Mitte des zweiten Viertels übernahmen dann erneut Reynolds und Sasha Grant, die den Bayern mit einem 9:0-Lauf halfen, sich erstmals etwas deutlicher abzusetzen (44:37/16.). Göttingen versuchte den Lauf der Gäste mit einer Auszeit zu unterbrechen, doch die beiden weiteren Youngsters Jason George und Matej Rudan bauten den Lauf weiter aus – die erste zweistellige Führung im Spiel (47:37/17.). Insgesamt steuerten die Youngsters der Münchner schon in der ersten Hälfte 21 Punkte in 45 Minuten Spielzeit bei – 52:44.

Topscorer Grant, 17 Punkte von Debütant Ersek

Die Gäste brachten den Schwung zum Ende der ersten Hälfte mit aus der Kabine und bauten die Führung durch JaJuan Johnson und Dreier von George sowie Amaize weiter aus (60:45/24.). Die Münchner zeigten weiter eine hochkonzentrierte Partie. Sasha Grant traf bereits seinen dritten Dreier und scorte erstmals in der BBL zweistellig (65:51/25.).

Der Assist kam von Landsmann Flaccadori. Der Italiener war hauptverantwortlich für den Ballvortrag beim FCBB und erzielte bereits im Verlauf des dritten Viertels in 25 Minuten Spielzeit mit zehn Punkten und elf Assists ein Double-Double, bevor er auf der Bank Platz nehmen durfte und Ersek den Spielaufbau überlies (67:53/27.). Auch unter der Führung Erseks behielten die Bayern die Kontrolle – 77:62.

Zu Beginn des Schlussabschnitts baute Grant sein Career High weiter fleißig aus, traf bereits seinen vierten Dreier bei nur fünf Versuchen und kam früh im vierten Viertel bereits auf 18 Punkte (84:69/33.). Ersek stand dem fast in nichts nach und blieb sowohl aus dem Feld als auch von der Linie makellos (92:73/36.). Das Spiel war früh entschieden, für die Bayern stellte sich einzig die Frage, ob die 100-Punkte-Marke noch geknackt wird - das gelang Ersek mit seinem dritten Dreier im dritten Versuch (101:83/39.).

SCHEDULE 

Photo credit: Stickel, Klar, Pförtner