Time duration of 59 minutes, 53 seconds. - Alba manages to push back Bayern during the last four quarters.
At the Uber Arena, Isaac Bonga, Andy Obst, and former Berliner Niels Giffey were part of the Bayern roster. Meanwhile, Johannes Thiemann was representing Berlin in front of 12,600 fans.
With Alba's recent 53:77 loss five days ago, their possibility of finishing first has become purely theoretical.
In Bayern's lineup, Serge Ibaka, the ex-NBA star, was absent. Coach Pablo Laso had already excluded the 34-year-old for the playoffs, leaving him out for the 14th time this season.
Although Ibaka's replacement, Danko Brankovic, scored 10 points along with 5 rebounds, it wasn't an issue for Bayern with their impressive performance.
Bayern had a challenging entrance to the match as Alba contested every good shotl. However, Malte Delow and Justin Bean managed to reduce the lead with two quick threes, making it 12:17 after ten minutes.
A captivating four-point play in the second quarter unfolded, as Koumadje missed his second free throw. Schneider then scored a tip-in followed by a foul from Bonga, resulting in another free throw, making the score 16:17.
The ecstatic 14th cheer for Koumadje emerged when he went down for Wetzell, followed by whistles for ex-Berliner Niels Giffey, who replaced Wimberg.
In the closing minutes of the first half, Thomas scored to make it 30:28 with only 18 seconds left before the break, and Hermannsson and Brown exhibited incredible defense against Bolmaro to keep it at 30:28.
Alba bravely tried to catch up, but their offense was dismal: Tim Schneider even missed a slam dunk. In contrast, Lucic's three-pointer made it 36:48. With nine points in the third quarter for Alba (compared to Bayern's 20), it seemed like the game was concluded.
Nevertheless, Alba didn't give up on the fight. Amidst the cheers of 12,000 fans, they mounted a comeback. Thomas shot a three to narrow the gap to 52:53. Soon after, Hermannsson knocked down a three, followed by a flawless lay-up from Thiemann to make it 57:53 with 67 seconds remaining.
As Brown drained his final free throws, Alba experienced their first victory against Bayern this year, making it an outstanding result.
Jonas Mattisseck from Alba expressed his relief, saying, "This was a critical win before the playoffs. It's satisfying to beat Bayern in front of our home fans."
Best scorers: Sterling Brown (Alba/ 11 points); Danko Brankovic (Bayern/ 10 points)
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Source: symclub.org
