Bayern basketball athletes trip up against the local team in the capital.
In the German Basketball Championship final series, Alba Berlin has leveled the score against FC Bayern with a surprising win in Munich. With two former NBA players leading the way, the Berliners upset the favorites, earning a 79:70 (39:32) victory and tying the series at 1-1. Matt Thomas, a precision shooter, scored 21 points for the Berliners, while Sterling Brown contributed 17 points to the away win. Bayern struggled offensively, with Carsen Edwards, the team's leading shooter, only managing 17 points.
The next games of the series will take place in Berlin on Wednesday at 8:30 pm and Friday at 6:00 pm. If Alba wins both games, the 2020-21 German Basketball Champion will be crowned on the same evening as the opening match of the European Football Championship.
Alba Berlin's impressive comeback
After FC Bayern's victory in the first final game played on Saturday, where they completely outclassed the exhausted Berliners in the fourth quarter, the hosts started strongly. They even managed to take a 13-point lead after about six minutes. However, this lead didn't last long as the Berliners made a stunning comeback and took control of the game.
The Berliners only allowed Bayern to score six points in the final five minutes of the second quarter. This saw them enter the break with a 7-point advantage. "It was really bad," said reserve player Leandro Bolmaro after the game on broadcaster Dyn. Munich's club president Herbert Hainer agreed, admitting, "The second quarter made me think. I've never experienced it before in the BMW Arena that our team only managed to score six points in a quarter."
Laso's halftime speech didn't seem to have the desired effect. In the third quarter, Alba continued their impressive performance, showing more intensity and efficiency, particularly on the defensive end. Captain Johannes Thiemann, who had been out with a patellar tendon injury, returned to the team for this game. According to Alba coach Israel Gonzalez, Thiemann wasn't fully fit and didn't play to his full potential, but his presence was crucial for the team.
The absence of ANY Berliner point guards due to injury hadn't made a difference. Despite this, the Berliners triumphed in this game.
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In the wake of their initial loss, Bayern Munich Basketball will aim to regroup and bounce back when the playoffs continue in the ALBA Berlin home court. Despite the absence of their point guards, ALBA Berlin showcased a strong defensive performance, winning against Bayern Munich Basketball in the Basketball - ORDNER.
