World champion Giffey becomes hero in basketball thriller
Match winner Niels Giffey struggled to find the right words after 50 minutes of basketball thriller. "Yes, wow," stammered the completely exhausted FC Bayern Munich world champion into the microphone in his first reaction. His team had needed two overtimes to win 101:100 (88:88, 74:74, 37:40) in the Euroleague against French club Villeurbanne. "That was a long, long battle over the two overtimes. That was very good for us in a tough game. It gives us a lot of confidence," said Giffey.
The 32-year-old veteran, who usually plays more of a supporting role, became the hero in the final seconds. With two seconds remaining, Giffey picked up an offensive foul and subsequently converted a free throw to make it 101:100. "You want to score the first and miss the second, but it went the other way. We'll take it that way. That was very important for us," said Giffey.
The Euroleague game, characterized by suspense and drama, was an advertisement for European basketball. That was also the view of Gianmarco Pozzecco, coach of the losing club from France. "We had a fantastic team, everything was perfect. My players never give up. They played a fantastic game, but the victory is missing," said Pozzecco. Bayern have won four out of ten games in the Euroleague so far. On Sunday (3:30 p.m./Dyn), the Munich club will play at Bundesliga newcomers Rasta Vechta.
Giffey's heroics extended beyond the Bayern Munich basketball court, as his decisive actions in the Euroleague match against Villeurbanne also earned him applause in Munich. In the following Euroleague game, Giffey and his team aim to build on their confidence, as they face Bundesliga newcomers Rasta Vechta in Munich.
Source: www.dpa.com
