Baskets Bonn Begin Playoff Semifinals Against FC Bayern Munich, Eyeing Home-Court Advantage
Munich, May 30th – The Telekom Baskets Bonn are gearing up for a challenging start to their easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga semifinal series, facing FC Bayern Munich in two away games. The first match is scheduled for Saturday, May 30th, at 2:30 PM, followed by the second on Monday, June 1st, at 8:30 PM. The Baskets’ primary objective is to secure a victory in Munich to gain a crucial home-court advantage before the series shifts to the Telekom Dome for game three on Thursday, June 4th, at 6:30 PM. All semifinal games will be broadcast live on Dyn.
Public Viewing for Away Games
For fans unable to travel to Munich, the Baskets are once again offering public viewing events at the Telekom Dome for both away games. Tickets for these events are available at dome.de/tickets for five euros, which includes a complimentary drink. This initiative allows fans to collectively support their team and experience the excitement of the playoffs.
A Familiar Playoff Rivalry
This semifinal series marks the second time in the club’s history that the Telekom Baskets Bonn will meet FC Bayern Munich in the playoffs. Their previous encounter was also in the German Championship semifinals in 2022, where the Baskets were defeated after a hard-fought five-game series. In that series, despite being down 0-2, MVP Parker Jackson-Cartwright and his teammates managed to win two away games, forcing a decisive fifth match. This year, the Bonn team understands the imperative of securing at least one victory in Munich to have a chance at reaching the finals.
Head Coach Stankovic: A Dream Achieved
Before departing for Munich on Friday, Baskets Head Coach Marko Stankovic expressed his satisfaction with the team’s performance. “Reaching the semifinals is a huge success for us. At the beginning of this season, we set a clear goal to secure a spot in an international competition next season and to return to the playoffs. We have achieved that, and it is already a great accomplishment. After securing the playoffs, we worked towards fourth place to have home-court advantage in the fifth game. And we have seen the benefits of that situation. Reaching the semifinals is something we dreamed of, and it means a lot to all of us. This is the success of the entire team and the entire club. I especially want to congratulate the players because they have made enormous efforts to represent the club in the best possible way and achieve this success,” Stankovic stated.
Serbian Coaches’ Duel on the Sidelines
The series will also feature an intriguing coaching matchup between Stankovic and Bayern’s Head Coach Svetislav Pesic. While they have only directly faced each other once this season (a narrow 63-66 loss in the regular season in Munich), Stankovic has known Pesic for a long time. During the 2008/2009 and 2011/2012 seasons, Pesic coached Red Star Belgrade while Stankovic was a youth coach for Partizan Belgrade. Their paths often crossed, providing opportunities for mutual exchange. “As a young coach, I was happy to talk to such an experienced coach. I have followed him for many years. He is one of the most successful coaches in Europe,” Stankovic praised his counterpart.
Munich’s World Champion Ensemble
FC Bayern Munich boasts a formidable roster, including six reigning world or European champions. Andreas Obst, named MVP of the easyCredit BBL this season, leads the team in scoring with 16.4 points per game. Beyond Obst, Munich demonstrates impressive depth, with eight other players averaging at least eight points per game. This high-quality depth makes the reigning champions a top contender for the title once again. Munich also led the league in assists per game during the regular season, averaging 20.4, a testament to their team-oriented play that resulted in an average of 87.6 points per game (4th in the league). “But we also know how we played to get here,” Stankovic asserted. “We want to play our basketball against Munich, have fun, fight as much as possible, and show our identity on the court. In the end, we will see if it’s a close game like the last duel with Munich, and then we can analyze what we need to do better.”
Contrasting Paths to the Semifinals
While FC Bayern secured their quarterfinal series with three decisive victories over Trier (averaging +28.3 points), the Baskets had to battle through five tough games against Würzburg. This means Bonn has four fewer rest days and two more games under their belt before the first clash in Munich. Stankovic believes the intense series against Würzburg might offer an advantage. “Munich plays completely differently from Würzburg, and we must be prepared for Munich to react differently than Würzburg, who were particularly characterized by their individual offensive quality. Our quarterfinal against Würzburg was perhaps the most physical series of all four pairings. There was a lot of contact and fighting for every single ball. It was exactly what we expected from a unique series. And in this regard, it can help us adapt to the physicality we need in the series against Munich,” Stankovic noted.
Bundesliga Record Attendance and Previous Encounters
On December 21st, 2025, the Baskets set a new Bundesliga attendance record with 18,713 fans at their home game against Munich in the LANXESS arena. However, the game itself was less successful, with the Baskets suffering their highest seasonal defeat, 55-83. The subsequent encounter in Munich’s BMW Park was much closer, with the Baskets losing 63-66 but having chances to win until the final minute. The semifinal matches will be played in different venues: the Baskets will host Bayern at the Telekom Dome, while Munich will play their home semifinal games at the SAP Garden.
Live Coverage on Dyn
Both semifinal games will be broadcast live on Dyn. On Saturday, May 30th, the broadcast begins at 2:15 PM, with Florian von Stackelberg providing commentary and Tommy Klepeisz as the expert. On Monday, June 1st, the broadcast starts at 8:15 PM.
Source: https://www.telekom-baskets-bonn.de/presse/newsarchiv/halbfinale-baskets-wollen-in-muenchen-den-heimvorteil-klauen
