Alba Berlin stuns Bayern Munich with 20-point comeback to win 12th German basketball title
Trailing by 20 points at halftime, Alba Berlin stormed back to defeat FC Bayern Munich 84-81 in the decisive Game 5 and clinch their 12th German basketball championship on Saturday.
A stunning second-half turnaround
Alba Berlin appeared finished at the break. After a first quarter that ended 25-20 in the hosts' favour, the visitors managed only seven points in the second period while Bayern built a 47-27 halftime lead. What followed was a complete role reversal. The Berlin side chipped away possession by possession, and with seven minutes remaining Jonas Mattisseck (18 points) and Justin Bean (18 points) had pushed their team into a 67-66 advantage. The finish was tight, but Alba held on for an 84-81 win that silenced the Munich crowd.
Game 4 set the stage
The decisive fifth game was necessary only because Bayern suffered an equally baffling collapse in Berlin two days earlier. On Friday the defending champions led by 10 points in the third quarter, moments away from retaining the trophy, before Alba unleashed a 26-2 run that turned the contest into a 71-61 road victory. Bayern managed just 61 points that night, a total they had reached only once all season (also in Berlin, in October). The loss forced a return to Munich for a winner-take-all Game 5.
- Bayern builds 10-point lead in Game 4, Alba responds with 26-2 run to win 71-61 and force Game 5
- Alba overcomes 20-point halftime deficit to win Game 5 84-81 and clinch the championship
Pesic's farewell spoiled
The championship game was also the last of coach Svetislav Pesic's long career. The veteran paced his sideline with his usual intensity, but could not coax a title from his team.
Guard Justus Hollatz, a world and European champion, echoed the confusion.In my time at Bayern I have never experienced a situation where we completely lost our concept.
We completely lost the thread. We allowed ourselves to get caught in a downward spiral and couldn't get out.
Off-court drama over Gavel
Beyond the court, Bayern's week was consumed by a public dispute over Pesic's successor. The club is pursuing Anton Gavel, currently under contract at Bamberg until 2027. When Bayern reportedly refused to pay a transfer fee, Gavel submitted his resignation citing a formal error in his Bamberg deal, igniting anger from the Franconian club's patron Michael Stoschek. Halfway through Game 5, patron Uli Hoeneß told broadcaster Dyn that he was not involved but sounded confident.
I personally believe we will have Anton Gavel as coach here next year.
Key performers
Andreas Obst led all scorers with 24 points for Bayern, but was limited late in the game. For Alba, Mattisseck and Bean each scored 18 points. Flügelspieler Michael Rataj, who had demanded his team "put the lid on it", celebrated with the travelling Berlin fans. The championship is Alba's fourth in six seasons (2020, 2021, 2022 and now 2026), all clinched in Munich.
