Showdown in the basketball Bundesliga: Alba Berlin travels to the great rival FC Bayern - and triumphs in a wild and dramatic duel. For the Berliners it is the sixth win in a row in the competitor for supremacy in German basketball.
Alba Berlin has won the prestige duel in the basketball Bundesliga at long-time rival Bayern Munich and consolidated second place behind leaders Telekom Baskets Bonn. The champion prevailed 80:79 (44:44) in an exciting and until the end dramatic game of the German EuroLeague teams. National player Johannes Thiemann converted a free throw to victory shortly before the end.
"This is a great rivalry. The history between Berlin and Munich is great. It's always good when you win here," said Berlin's Jalen Smith, who scored 13 points, on MagentaTV. The story between the two clubs is also big because of numerous transfers from Berliners to Munich. Especially with the fans of Alba, many changes are met with incomprehension - there are a corresponding number of whistles.
Alba inflicted Bayern's first defeat of the season in front of 6,500 spectators in the sold-out Audi Dome, for coach Israel Gonzalez's team it was the sixth win in a row in the competitor for supremacy in German basketball. Bayern had won the only duel of the season so far in the EuroLeague in Berlin 79:77. The best Berlin throwers were Johannes Thiemann with 14 and Jaleen Smith with 13 points. Cassius Winston (20) and Nick Weiler-Babb (16) scored best for Munich.
Both teams went into the game with the tailwind of important successes in the European premier class. Munich had defeated Panathinaikos Athens, Alba surprisingly triumphed over the previous leaders Baskonia Vitoria. The Berliners initially found it difficult to get into the game. Many throws were missed, which is why the Munich team was already leading by two digits after just four and a half minutes (19:9). Alba coach Israel Gonzalez responded with the first time-out, and that seemed like a wake-up call. With the defending champion, the ball ran much better and the shot rate also increased.
At the beginning of the second quarter, Alba equalized at 30:30. Now the duel was completely balanced. The Bavarians were mostly just in the lead, but the Berliners stayed close and equalized again and again before the change of sides. In the third quarter, the Berliners were even able to take the lead for the first time and break away slightly with five points (64:59). But Bayern punished every mistake made by the guests and things remained tight until the end. The decision was only made 11.2 seconds before the end when Thiemann converted a free throw into victory. Ben Lammers was able to stop Bayern's last attack under the basket.
