Basketball: Berlin beats Bayern

With just eight minutes left to play in the basketball classic between Alba Berlin and Bayern Munich, many thought the game was over. Xavier Rathan-Mayes hit a three-pointer from the corner to make it 55:46. The Munich team, unbeaten in the Bundesliga up to that point, only had to manage the game and score a few times; they had cornered Berlin. But what happened next left even the 12,189 spectators in Berlin's Uber Arena somewhat speechless. Bayern simply stopped scoring, only managing to score six points in the remaining minutes. And the Berliners benefited from the guests' many turnovers and other sloppiness. They initially took a 10-0 lead to a 56-55 lead. In the end, they won the game 67-61 (35-38). For Berlin, it was only the second win in four league games, while for Bayern, after three league wins and one cup victory, it was their first defeat on the domestic stage.

It was the next defeat for the German champions after Friday's thumping 71:96 Euroleague loss to Olympiacos Piraeus, and their third loss in the last four games. But this time it was avoidable. "We defended well for 37 minutes. And with seven or eight minutes left, we were ahead by nine points and had chances to extend that. But then we lost the ball and made mistakes, which gave them momentum," said Bayern coach Gordon Herbert, whose qualities as a mental coach are now also in demand.

Against both Piraeus and Berlin, 18 turnovers were a key factor in the defeats. Such a rate is abysmal for a top club, but it also shows that the team is far from fully integrated. The running routes aren't yet rehearsed, there are too many misunderstandings. And, what's more, they lack freshness and quickness in their thinking.

The Berlin team, who had to cope with the departure of top scorer Boogie Ellis to Abu Dhabi after just six games of the season, were able to rely on 18-year-old junior center Nevio Bennefeld, who was the game's top scorer after the first two quarters. Nevertheless, Bayern went into the locker room with a 38-35 lead, thanks in part to their new signing Justinian Jessup (16 points) having a good day. They extended their lead, then Rathan-Mayes hit his three-pointer. And everyone thought the game was over.