FC Bayern’s basketball players also lost their second competitive game in the young season. After the 83:86 in their own hall against Ulm in the Bundesliga, Munich were also defeated in the first Euroleague game at Maccabi Tel Aviv. However, the weakened guests showed a remarkable performance in a high-class and nerve-wracking game and only narrowly missed the surprise of the highly rated Israeli series champions with an unfortunate 68:69 defeat.
It became apparent early on that it would be one of those Wilbekin evenings again. That Scottie Wilbekin, who is known to be one of the best and most dangerous playmakers in European basketball. The 28-year-old has often left unpleasant memories in the Bavarians’ heads, unforgotten the Eurocup semifinals three years ago, in which the American scored an incredible 41 points in the Audi Dome for Darussafaka Istanbul and the Bavarians almost single-handedly out of the Competition threw. Meanwhile, Wilbekin Point Guard is in Tel Aviv, and he ran hot again: Every throw found its way to the target as if pulled by an invisible line, Maccabi kept pulling away. The Munich team started very focused and kept the game open until the middle of the first quarter (16:16), mainly because Corey Walden showed a strong performance in his first appearance for Bayern and scored 14 points. He had to pass against Ulm, now he kept his team within striking distance after the first quarter: 18:25. But then Wilbekin got serious, the playmaker contributed 13 points to a 17-point lead (35:18) – mind you, without any failed attempt.
Bayern have the last throw, but top scorer Thomas just misses the target
But selections by coach Andrea Trinchieri have a unique selling point: No matter how far behind they are, no matter how hopeless the situation seems, they are often able to come back. This also applies to the Italian’s new team, Bayern fought their way up. And when Wilbekin made his first bad throw, Munich were back in the game – and went into the half-time break with a significantly less bad eight-point deficit (32:40). In order to come out of the dressing room as if transformed, the FCB Defense barely allowed the hosts to go undisturbed. Suddenly Tel Aviv’s sovereignty was blown away from the first half. With a 16-2 run, the Munich team took the lead and defended their lead in the last quarter (58:54).
But driven by the almost 11,000 frenetic spectators in the sold-out Menorah Mivtachim Arena, the host picked himself up again, of course led by Wilbekin, who scored 28 points. The Maccabi guard was everywhere, completed almost every attack himself and single-handedly turned a 54:63 deficit into a 67:65 lead. In the final minutes there was a nerve-wracking back and forth, the lead changed several times before Wilbekin hit the 69:68 lead. Bayern again had possession and a chance to win, but the throw from top scorer Deshaun Thomas (15 points), who like Othello Hunter (11) and Augustine Rubit (10) scored in double digits, just missed.