ratiopharm Ulm has won Game 2 of the final series against FC Bayern Munich. Karim Jallow was the outstanding player for the hosts, who dominated the reigning German champions after the break and prevailed 79-64.
Everything is up for grabs again in the final series. A strong Karim Jallow led Ulm to victory in Game 2, recording 23 points (8/10 FG), six rebounds, and six steals. Ben Saraf, Marcio Santos, Alfonso Plummer, and Justinian Jessup (all 10) also scored in double figures. FC Bayern scored only seven points in the third quarter and disappointed for long stretches. Captain Vladimir Lucic (17), Jack White (10, 8 rebounds) and Justus Hollatz (8) were the bright spots, with very little coming from the rest of the team.
Ulm had lost only one game at home in the current season. And right at the start of the second final duel, when the ratiopharm Arena turned into a cauldron, it quickly became clear why. Bayern initially proved to be the more alert of the two teams, scoring their first three three-point attempts. Ulm looked nervous and only showed signs of life again in the final stages of the first quarter: Plummer sank two three-pointers to make it -3. With the final buzzer, Santos even reduced the deficit to one point (21:22).
In the second quarter, the game developed into the expected battle. It became heated – both on and off the court. The atmosphere reached a preliminary climax when Lucic brought Jallow down hard on a drive. Fouls continued to dominate the rest of the quarter. In the final three minutes before the break, both teams scored only one field goal, but each made four free throws. It was Hollatz who gave Munich the lead 37 seconds before the break (35:37).
Bayern with only seven points in the third quarter
After both teams had again performed below expectations in the first half, at least Ulm came out of the locker room like a different team. Saraf sank a three-pointer from the corner on the very first possession – his first of the series. Jack White initially kept Bayern in the game, but was unable to stop Ulm’s subsequent run. The home side scored the next 13 points in a row. Bayern seemed frozen and trailed 44:56 going into the fourth quarter.
The trend continued in the final quarter. Bayern seemed completely out of ideas for long stretches, with various attacks ending in one-on-one situations. In addition, Herbert’s team committed 19 turnovers, with Jallow responsible for most of them with a career-high six steals. With five minutes to go, the game was decided and Ulm celebrated its first victory in the finals.
The third game of the series will take place on Saturday in Munich. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. Dyn will broadcast the game live via stream.
