Bayern win streak now at 10

The last quarter did the trick: Thanks to a strong finish in Crailsheim, the Bayern basketball team added a tenth victory to its strong stretch in th BBL. After 40 energy-sapping minutes the squad around head coach Andreas Trinchieri managed a 78-79 away win. In front of 2,500 fans, the Merlins fought tooth and nail for most of the game with Andi Obst (24 points), Corey Walden (12), Cash Winston (11), Isaac Bonga (10/11 rebounds) and Freddie Gillespie (4/12) bringing home the victory.

Wednesday vs Rostock

On Wednesday evening (19:00), Bayern will host Rostock, and next Sunday (18:00) they will play a top game at fifth-place Goettingen.

Tickets vs Rostock

In the noisy Arena Hohenlohe, the Merlins defense stood up to the FCBB and not only in the first quarter which they won (13-12). On the offensive side, Obst once again had a big game from three-point range but the team's man-to-man defense could be improved.

Obst scores 24

Due to some mistakes and sloppiness from Bayern, Crailsheim sensed that they could steal a game from the favorites especially after Weiler-Babb conceded his fourth foul. In the final quarter, they finally had to deliver - via defense and did through sheer persistence take home the win.

Score per quarter Bayern - Crailsheim: 13-12, 15-19, 22-24, 28-14

Stats: Two-point shooting: 46 % (FCBB) // 29 % (Crailsheim); Three-point shooting: 34 % // 38 %; Free-throw shooting: 70 % // 57 %; Rebounds: 50 // 33; Assists: 10 // 14; Turnovers: 8 // 7

Quotes:

Andrea Trinchieri: "Congratulations to my players and also to Crailsheim and Coach Markovic for a very aggressive game. We had to get serious in the second half to win this game after all. In the first half we were good on defense and extremely sloppy on offense. But I understand that because it was the 68th game of the season for us. It's not always easy to have the right mental tension and be logged in. But in the second half, offensively and defensively, we played better and with more rhythm and earned the win with a very good fourth quarter against a team that played aggressive basketball, hit tough shots and tried to outrun us. We go home knowing that with the right attitude we can win any game - and if not, we can struggle on any court." 

Andi Obst: "I think we find our strengths well against the opponents. We played quite well on the offensive end. Not quite like that in the first half, but then we did in the second half; then the balls start falling in. We also had a very good attitude on defense. In the third quarter we slackened off for a short while, but then we got back to our strength. We defended very physically and communicated well. In the end, it wasn't easy in terms of energy. But luckily we got another boost yesterday from the Walden family in the form of Lemon Pepper Wings! They were outstanding and gave us strength. The defense definitely carried us. We are on a good path and have recovered from the EuroLeague. We want to use the games to prepare for the playoffs, regenerate and find ourselves. Then we'll be ready, too."

Game Recap:
Cassius Winston, Andi Obst, Niels Giffey, Isaac Bonga and Freddie Gillespie started for the Bayern squad on the road in Crailsheim. The FCBB started with the self-confidence the third-place team and scored easily under the basket. Ten rebounds were hauled in by Bayern in the quarter and everything was going smoothly. Andi Obst took advantage of second chances and took a six-point lead (11-5/5th minute). But it didn't take long before the Merlins were right back  in the game with a 7-0 run. After the initial dominance the favorites became a bit careless. Walden missed two free throws, Seeley made a mistake with the shot clock and the quarter ended with some very poor offense (13-12).

If the crowd had not been a factor so far, Arunas Mikalauskas changed that with his four-point play followed by another three-pointer. On the other side, Obst shouldered almost the entire load and 13 of Munich's first 21 points were scored by the shooting specialist (21-18/14th). Edon Maxhuni scored from deep and took the lead for Crailsheim. An unfortunate foul by Giffey shortly after did not help to solve the issue.  Coach Trinchieri was not pleased as the team made their way to the locker room down 31-28.

In the second half, Winston wanted to improve his shooting and with five quick points, he tied the game quickly. But Mo Stuckey and top scorer Mikalauskas in particular were not impressed and could feel the chance for an upset. When James Batemon also joined in from the three-point line, Trinchieri had seen enough and took a time-out (45-51/26th). Even though the free-throws did not fall, both teams understood how to get to the line frequently. Gillespie and Weiler-Babb soon had to go to the bench with foul trouble. Without the defensive anchors, the Merlins kept their narrow lead - 55-50.

In the final quarter, Trinchieri's team tried its best to work its way into the game. With the returning presence of Gillespie (12 rebounds) and increased aggressiveness, they forced Crailsheim into five quick fouls after just three minutes. Bonga rewarded the effort with the lead - 59-58. Nikola Markovic's team, on the other hand, suddenly could not score. Miles Stephens finally redeemed the team after five pointless minutes and an 11-0 run by Munich (65-61/36th). The tough-fought game became high-class towards the end. Mikalauska's three-pointer was answered by Walden in return and then Maxhuni had the answer to Obst's bucket. But Walden's deep three-pointer 45 seconds before the end put the lid on the game - 74-67. The hosts tried again to get rid of the ball quickly but in the end it landed with Bonga, who stayed cool from the line and secured the victory (78-69).