Tuesday, May 4th 2021
No Final Four in Euroleague
FC Bayern plays for everything and does not win
The sensation in the playoffs of the Euroleague is missing. The basketball players of FC Bayern missed the victory in the all-or-nothing game in Milan. In the dramatic final seconds, the Munich team fight their way up close to making it into the Final Four. But it is not enough.
The famous Euroleague season of Bayern basketball players does not have its crowning glory in the Final Four in Cologne. The Munich team lost the decisive fifth duel in the quarterfinals against Olimpia Milan and were eliminated. After an unbelievable final phase including a crazy catch-up and because of a missed last throwing attempt, the team of coach Andrea Trinchieri suffered an 89:92 (40:50) defeat.
The best thrower of the guests, who disappointed for a long time and then almost caused a huge surprise in the end, was Jalen Reynolds with 19 points. In the Italian team, the former Frankfurt Shavon Shields, who scored 34 points, towered over the top. “I am incredibly proud of what the team has achieved in this series. How the team believed in victory up to the last second is the story of this EuroLeague season,” said Managing Director Marko Pesic at MagentaSport: “It’s a shame, but you have seen what the experience is. It won today. “
It was clear to the Munich team that after the unexpected two defeats, Milan would go into the game highly motivated and with the urge to make amends. Coach Trinchieri was expecting the best Olimpia of the series. The fact that the Italians actually got going furiously and kept pulling away the guests was mainly due to one man: Shields. The former Bundesliga professional scored from almost all positions and was already at 18 points at halftime; half of it resulted from three three-point throws. Quite different for Bayern, who didn’t score a single point from outside in the first two quarters.
Wild final phase with no reward
The fact that the gap was only ten points at halftime was mainly due to the two giants under the basket: JaJuan Johnson and Reynolds were each ten points after 20 minutes. Vladimir Lucic and Paul Zipser, the two match winners from game four on Friday, did not find their way into the game initially. “We were too passive in defense, that cost us ten points,” said Coach Trinchieri during the break and demanded: “We have to start the fire now.”
A small statistical glimmer of hope for Bayern was that the 40:50 at halftime corresponded exactly to the result of game four – and the Bundesliga team was able to start a successful comeback.
Again, the star ensemble around the experienced Sergio Rodriguez, Kyle Hines (for the ninth time in a row in the Final Four!) And Luigi Datome was about to be taken by surprise. Shields had made the alleged decision 78 seconds before the end with his three-point 79:91 from Munich’s point of view. Lucic cut it to 82:91, then it got wild. 45 seconds before the end, Reynolds scores to 84:91. Milan do not score, Reynolds again makes a three-point to 87:91. Milan threw away the throw-in, Wade Baldwin IV strikes – 89:91. Offensive foul Milan, time-out and possession Munich. Mail
But then Wade Baldwin got stuck once, immediately after which Shields made one of two free throws. 89:92 from the perspective of FC Bayern. A threesome would have been enough for extra time – Zipser’s attempt at desperation with the final siren went by, the dream of an incredible comeback remained unfulfilled.
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