No chance of a third win: Bayern Basketball suffered a heavy defeat in the first of four consecutive EuroLeague away games. In front of more than 15,200 spectators on Thursday, they went down to a deserved 103–73 (48–31) defeat at Crvena Zvezda Belgrade. After nine games, they remain on two wins. The team lacked the intensity and resilience needed to withstand their fired-up hosts in the Serbian cauldron—not just in the second quarter (16–29).
On Sunday, Anton Gavel’s team travel to Rostock, where they will look to defend their place at the top of the BBL.
Crvena Zvezda Belgrade – FC Bayern Basketball 103:73 (48:31)
Beauchamp and Jessup out sick
Beauchamp and Jessup were absent for Bayern through illness. Their teammates had to adjust to the deafening noise and struggled against the hosts’ physicality, particularly in the paint. Lucic hit two three-pointers, and late in the first quarter da Silva and Thiemann battled their way through to make it 19–15. So far, so good.
But the route to the basket remained blocked, while Belgrade capitalized on transition opportunities for easy points (27–19, 14th minute). The hosts came up with the loose balls, Bayern were unfortunate on several occasions, and they endured a 13–0 run (36–19, 16th minute). The pressure forced six Munich turnovers in the second quarter, while too little aggression and ball movement did little to counter it.
Ten turnovers by halftime
“We have to play harder,” Gavel complained before the second half, after his team had committed ten turnovers in total. Bayern added only one more in the third quarter, but their opponents hit five three-pointers and could no longer be stopped (79–54). Bayern’s offense searched for answers; Belgrade found them all too easily—and shot far better, too.
Topics of this article