Victory in the final against Oldenburg
FC Bayern dedicates the trophy to a seriously injured professional
2/19/2023, 6:02 p.m
While his teammates are fighting for their first title in two years, Augustine Rubit is already on the operating table the day after his injury. The FC Bayern basketball team triumphed in the cup final over hosts Oldenburg, who missed the surprise.
After a series of disappointments, Bayern Munich basketball players ended their dry spell and won the cup. In the final of the Top Four of the Bundesliga (BBL), the runners-up prevailed against hosts EWE Baskets Oldenburg with a score of 90:78 (43:35) thanks to a concentrated performance. For FC Bayern it is the fourth victory in the competition after 1968, 2018 and 2021. In contrast, the Oldenburgers missed out on triumphing for the second time in the living room. In 2015, the North Germans won the cup final in the EWE Arena, this time there was no surprise against the favorites.
The Munich team, without a title for two years since the last cup win, had dethroned defending champion Alba Berlin (83:77) in the semifinals on Saturday, but paid dearly for the success over the double winner. Augustine Rubit suffered a serious foot injury in the game and underwent surgery on Sunday. “He is currently being operated on in Murnau near Munich. It doesn’t look good, it’s an injury to the Achilles tendon. It doesn’t look good,” said managing director Marko Pesic before the final at MagentaSport. The official was initially unable to give any more details.
That’s why Bayern coach Trinchieri put the finale under the motto “Wins for Rubit”. “We will also play and fight for him,” Trinchieri announced. “Rubit is like a cake. Everyone should take a piece of it and do some of their chores.” Bayern also laid out the Power Forward jersey on the substitutes’ bench. Against the EWE Baskets, semi-final winners in a duel with the MHP giants Ludwigsburg (92:86), the next effort was needed because of the triple load from the EuroLeague, BBL and cup, and Bayern had practically the whole hall against them.
Lucic celebrates perfect return
“Everything like 2015” was the motto of the Oldenburgs, the color yellow dominated the packed ranks, 6200 spectators came like the day before. But despite the loud support, EWE Baskets got into the game badly, as in the semifinals, and Bayern quickly led 11:2.
In the early stages, Munich scored excellently from the line of three and pulled away. It was mainly thanks to DeWayne Russell, who was in a good mood, that the gap didn’t get any bigger. At the break, the playmaker already had 15 points, in the end it was 28. “We weren’t nervous, but we wanted more,” said Oldenburg’s Shakur Juiston before going into the dressing room at MagentaSport. “The game is still tight.” But the second half started like the first, Bayern pulled ahead with a run (57:40/24th minute).
Oldenburg desperately wanted the title in their first year under coach Pedro Calles and fought hard to catch up, but Bayern always had an answer when their opponents closed in on them. Andreas Obst made it 89:76 with a three shortly before the end and finally put the lid on it. Bayern can’t really celebrate their top scorers Corey Walden and Vladimir Lucic (both 18 points) with their success. For Lucic it was a made-to-measure comeback after a long injury break. Already on Thursday it is in the EuroLeague in Israel against Maccabi Tel Aviv.