Basketball · National
ALBA overturns a 19-point deficit to beat Bayern in Berlin
ALBA won 88–81 on 5 January after trailing by 19, ending a run of seven home defeats across competitions.
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A reversal in the league rivalry
ALBA Berlin opened its January home programme with an 88–81 victory over Bayern Munich at the Uber Arena on 5 January. The hosts recovered from a 19-point deficit in the second quarter and completed the comeback in front of 12,377 spectators. It was the clubs’ first domestic meeting since the previous season’s finals, when Bayern had secured the championship in Berlin. For ALBA, the result ended seven successive home losses across competitions. The margin therefore explains only part of the afternoon: the home side had turned a game that appeared to be running away from it into a significant win.
Bayern’s advantage disappears
Bayern’s account records a 40–21 lead during the second quarter and a 47–37 advantage at halftime. Ivan Kharchenkov contributed 14 points, while Devin Booker finished with 20 points and nine rebounds. Carsen Edwards added 19 points, five rebounds and four assists. The visitors had returned from Madrid only the previous evening and were without Nick Weiler-Babb and Vladimir Lučić; Oscar da Silva also did not play after the interval. Berlin closed to 65–63 before the fourth quarter. Bayern still tied the score at 80–80 through three-pointers from Johannes Voigtmann and Edwards, but did not regain control of the final possessions.
Several players carry the comeback
ALBA’s report credits Tim Schneider with two three-pointers at the start of the third quarter and David McCormack with repeated scoring inside. McCormack matched his career high with 20 points, while Matt Thomas supplied 17. Thomas put Berlin ahead with a midrange basket, and Will McDowell-White then converted two late three-pointers. McDowell-White finished with 13 points, six rebounds and five assists in the club’s account. The home team had again been without Louis Olinde, Justin Bean and captain Martin Hermannsson. Coach Israel González described the response after a difficult week as a particularly emotional moment in his career.
What the result changed
The league’s matchday review puts the second half at 51–34 in ALBA’s favour. Berlin’s fifth win in 13 league appearances moved the club from fifteenth to fourteenth, while Bayern remained first despite dropping to 9–4. Heidelberg, Ulm and Würzburg had the same record as the leaders. Those standings matter because this was a recovery result for Berlin rather than an immediate climb into the leading group. The review also highlights McDowell-White’s three-pointer with 1 minute 23 seconds left, which made it 85–81. Berlin’s next commitments were away games at Fenerbahçe in the EuroLeague and at Frankfurt in the Bundesliga. The Fenerbahçe visit was scheduled for 9 January and the Frankfurt game for 12 January. ALBA now had five wins and eight losses; Bayern’s nine wins still kept it at the top.
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