Alba Berlin is the German champion for the twelfth time! The storied team from the capital won the decisive fifth game of the BBL Finals against favorite Bayern Munich after a sensational comeback. At halftime, Calles’s team was still trailing by 20 points.
With a 19-5 run after halftime, Berlin fought its way back within striking distance. The standout player was captain Jonas Mattisseck, who made 6 of 7 three-pointers. The turning point ultimately came in the final quarter, when the Albatrosses scored the first 14 points in a row to turn the game in their favor.
So much for a cautious start in the decisive game! Both teams kicked off the final Bundesliga game of the 2025–26 season on offense with their usual high level of confidence. While Isiaha Mike drew attention for Bayern with seven quick points, the visitors’ captain, Jonas Mattisseck, did the same: He sank three three-pointers in the first three and a half minutes, giving Berlin an early lead (15–9). Bayern then adjusted their tactics and tried to take the momentum away from Alba, which had previously been working in their favor.
It worked! Munich won the second half of the quarter 16–5. And they carried that momentum right into the second quarter, where Berlin—along with their young bench players—continued to struggle (Kayil started 0-for-6). More bad news for the visitors: Andi Obst had now found his rhythm from beyond the arc as well. A three-point play and two three-pointers established the first double-digit lead. Aside from a somewhat lucky three-pointer by Wood that went right in Lucic’s face, Berlin couldn’t get much going. Instead, they had already racked up ten turnovers by halftime. The result: Bayern was within reach of its eighth championship in club history after just 20 minutes (47–27).
Alba gets off to a blistering start in the second half
In the first quarter, Jonas Mattisseck had taken on a leading role. And he was set to do the same after coming back out of the locker room. The 26-year-old set the tone, particularly on defense, sending a clear message: This game isn’t lost yet. And it wasn’t. After all the Albatrosses except Mattisseck had combined to go 1-for-13 from beyond the arc in the first half, they now rained down five three-pointers in the first half of the quarter alone. Mattisseck’s fifth three-pointer even cut the deficit to -6 (52–46).
Bayern, however, regained its composure—partly because the unnecessary turnovers that had plagued them earlier stopped, and partly because the defense shifted into high gear with the substitution of Justus Hollatz. Three-pointers by Dimitrijevic and Giffey restored the lead to +16, before Bean sent a sign of life from Berlin as the quarter came to a close.
And the visitors carried that momentum into the final quarter. Alba scored the first 14 points in a row, turning the game around in spectacular fashion. When Jack Kayil finally sank his first shot, the packed away section erupted. And it was the 20-year-old who played a decisive role in securing the victory. All ten of his points came in the final quarter. He also kept his cool at the free-throw line multiple times during crunch time.
