Alba Berlin erases 10-point deficit, holds Bayern to 16 second-half points, forces Game 5 decider

The comeback

Bayern led 52-42 midway through the third quarter after an Isiaha Mike dunk, but Alba closed the period on a 16-2 run to snatch a 58-54 advantage. The hosts then outscored Munich 13-7 in the fourth, never letting the lead slip.

“We gave everything, we threw everything in. It paid off, they were more tired than us and couldn't find a rhythm in the second half.”

Bayern's second-half collapse

The defending champions managed only nine points in the third quarter and seven in the fourth, a total of 16 after the break. Coach Svetislav Pesic lamented that his players lost their offensive structure and spent too much time looking at the referees.

“We completely lost the thread. We let ourselves get pulled into the spiral and couldn't get out.”

Alba's aggressive defense and multiple offensive rebounds gave them second-chance points that Bayern never countered.

Heated arena, shifting momentum

Close to 9,000 fans packed the Max-Schmeling-Halle on a sweltering Berlin evening, creating an atmosphere that Alba captain Jonas Mattisseck called among the best he has experienced in over 480 appearances for the club. The crowd helped fuel a comeback reminiscent of the team's earlier elimination-game escapes against Vechta and Bamberg.

“The good thing is that the pressure is on them.”

Two rosters, one championship

Alba's player budget is €4.69 million, barely a quarter of Bayern's €18 million. Andreas Obst's contract alone exceeds the combined salaries of Alba's starting five. Yet the underdogs have now taken two of the four games and carry momentum into the decider. Coach Pedro Calles, whose playoff record had been questioned before this run, has the team believing it can win its first title since 2022.

Game 5 and the Pesic farewell

“We played 25 minutes like you have to in this atmosphere, then Alba started playing aggressive defense.”

The defeat postpones the 76-year-old's retirement by at least two days. If Bayern wins on Sunday, Pesic would become the first coach to capture BBL titles in four different decades, adding to his championships with Alba (1997–2000) and Munich (2014). The winner-take-all game tips off at 16:30 in the SAP Garden, with Bayern holding home-court advantage but Alba carrying the series' momentum.