Bayern loses thriller vs Berlin 80-79

The atmosphere was great, the result not quite so good as the Bayern Basketball team lost a high-class BBL thriller against Alba Berlin 80-79. Top scorer Winston (20 points) missed his final layup by mere centimeters when it rolled in and out of the rim. It was a thrilling top game in front of 6,500 fans in the packed Audi Dome, Berlin brought a bit more energy to the court in the last two minutes and the FCBB missed three free throws and a defensive rebound. Tt was the third loss of the season in the BBL for Bayern.

Tuesday vs Baskonia 

The upcoming schedule does not get easier. On Tuesday (20:30), the third-place team in the EuroLeague, Baskonia, visits Munich while on Thursday the FCBB takes on Fener in Istanbul and on Sunday they will play a BBL game in Ludwigsburg.

Tickets vs Baskonia

The Bavarians - still without Lucic and Obst as well as Walden (thigh) - started against Alba off hot and led 19-9 (6th). The guests then used open court space to drill some threes to take the lead. Foul trouble further disrupted the rhythm, but that only increased the fighting spirit for both teams. Weiler-Babb scored 37 seconds before the end to make it 79-79 but the win was not meant to be.

Score per quarter Bayern - Berlin: 27-23, 17-21, 17-20, 18-16.

Stats: Two-point shooting: 53 % (FCBB) // 59 % (Berlin); Three-point shooting: 39 % // 32 %; Free-throw shooting: 74 % // 89 %; Rebounds: 30 // 32; Assists: 13 // 15; Turnovers:  12 // 13

Quotes:

Andrea Trinchieri: "It was a game with a lot of ups and downs. We got off to an excellent start, but in the second and third quarters we weren't as good. In the end, I think three missed free throws in the last two minutes that were decisive. I would have liked to play better, but the circumstances didn't allow us to do that. We tried, played hard - but when you combine the three free throws plus the last defensive rebound that gave them possession, it cost us the game in the end. Everything else was very even, it was basically very fast and and a fair game. (...)

Corey Walden didn't get to play in the second half against Panathinaikos. It was too risky to bring him in for a possible injury of two, three months. We're already short of players anyway, so you have to make tough decisions like that. (...) In the end, we had the player who had the best night offensively, one-on-one. We wanted to win the game and we had a shot to win." 

Cassius Winston: "It's hard to lose the game like that. We played a good game, fought until the end, and just a few little things were missing to get us over the hump. (...) It's hard to play with four fouls, especially here where they play physically and you just have to take some stuff, let people score sometimes. That made it hard in those last minutes. (...) Lammers is long, defended well on the last play. But we got a chance to score a basket, that's what we wanted: A chance to score at the end."

Berlin coach, Israel Gonzalez: "Two very tired teams today. January is a month where we are coming off a lot of games. I don't think the players were able to play at full energy on either side. The stats are relatively the same in everything, this time the coin fell on our side. We fought well, didn't start the game well, but we got better and were able to win a very close game in the end. I am happy for the players. (...) To keep up with a good team like Bayern, we have to have given everything."

Game recap:

Corey Walden, who had to leave Thursday's game against Panathinaikos early due to muscular problems, returned to the FCBB lineup but did not come into play after consultation with the medical department at the last minute. His colleagues did their job without him to the satisfaction of the 6,500 and took an 11-2 lead after three minutes. A dunk by Freddie Gillespie made it 19-9 and forced Berlin to take its first timeout (6th). This had an effect and Berlin streaked to an 8-0 run and a timeout for Bayern. A dunk by Niels Giffey, who was left completely alone, and shortly afterwards a layup by Ognjen Jaramaz made it 27-23 at the break.

51-46 was the biggest deficit of the night for Bayern

The game remained close now as Luke Sikma scored the equalizer then Cassius Winston countered with a three-pointer followed by a Ben Lammers three for the Berliners (30-30/ 12th). After a make by Gillespie from half court and two successful free throws by Isaac Bonga, it briefly looked as if the Bavarians could pull away, but Berlin stayed tough. The Albatrosse's gave an open look inside to Bayern which was used by Othello Hunter for a spectacular flying layup, but at halftime the score was tied 44-44.

The first bit of play after the break belonged to the Berliners, who took the lead for the first time through their center Koumadje. A block by ex-Munich player Maodo Lo against Jaramaz shortly afterwards brought the biggest lead of the night for Berlin at 51-46. Five points in a row from Weiler-Babb made it 53-53 but Berlin kept their lead. However, they could not pull away and the fCBB fought as the Audi Dome got louder and louder. Nevertheless, Bayern went into the final quarter break with a three-point deficit.

Babbs ties it at 79

In the fourth quarter the fans initially saw a Winston show: layup, three-pointer for the lead and a beautiful reverse-layup made brought the crowd to their feat - even FC Bayern President Herbert Hainer and Honorary President Uli Hoeness. The only drawback was that Berlin remained quite unimpressed and regained the lead. Winston missed both free throws and Rubit sank only one of two with 65 seconds left - but after a Berlin turnover Weiler-Babb equalized from outside: 79-79, 37 seconds left.

Eleven seconds before the end, Thiemann went to the line for Berlin: The first shot - too long! Despite the noise, he sank the second. Winston took the ball and got off a layup just before the buzzer but it rolled out and Bayern lost the game at home.

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