The disheartening 0-13 streak comes to an end for FC Bayern prematurely.
Game Three, Victory Number One: Alba Berlin Overturns a Rough Beginning in EuroLeague and Triumphs with an Impressive Showing Against ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne. Bayern Munich Suffers its Second Straight Away Loss in EuroLeague, Losing 78:86 (32:49) to Partizan Belgrade in Its Second Away Game. A shaky first half filled with turnovers proved pivotal. After starting evenly, the hosts went on a 13-0 run, leaving Bayern down 11:24 after nine minutes. At this stage, Belgrade had connected on six out of seven three-pointers, with ex-Bayer player and World Cup winner Isaac Bonga making two successful shots.
Former Berlin player Sterling Brown also gave Bayern trouble, scoring 16 points for the hosts in the first half. Bayern's deficit ballooned to 22 points at one point, but they managed to reduce it to 32:49 at halftime with a revised defense.
The Bayern team regrouped in the third quarter and got back into their groove, but Belgrade repelled their rally and extended their lead to 19 points with three minutes remaining. Bayern trimmed the gap to 78:86, but couldn't close any further. German international Andreas Obst was the top scorer for Bayern with 15 points.
While Bayern struggled, Alba Berlin celebrated its very first win. The Bundesliga team outlasted French opponent ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne 84:79 (36:36) in front of 7,044 home fans. Previously, Alba had experienced two losses. Martin Hermannsson was the top scorer for Berlin with 21 points, with Matteo Spagnolo close behind with 16.
The game started tumultuously, with both teams finding it difficult to establish a rhythm, particularly the hosts. A nearly ten-minute halt at the start due to timing glitches seemed to aid Alba, as they played with more focus afterwards and took the lead with a 10-0 run (14:9). However, Alba's offense waned in the second quarter, missing numerous open looks and making only two out of eleven three-pointers. They fell behind once more, but a 5-0 run just before half-time tied the score at 36:36.
There was another lengthy halt in the second half due to technical issues, but Alba seemed to cope better. After an 18-7 run, the hosts went ahead 64:54 at the end of the third quarter. The game remained tight in the final minutes, but Alba managed to secure the victory 84:79.
Despite Bayern Munich's struggles with turnovers and defensive lapses, the sport of Basketball was still highly evident in Game Three. Following Alba Berlin's triumph against ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne, they now look forward to further showcasing their basketball skills in upcoming matches.
