FC Bayern Basketball clinched a thrilling 73-72 home victory over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg on the final matchday of the easyCredit BBL regular season, thanks to a game-winning three-pointer by Niels Giffey with 8.8 seconds remaining. Ludwigsburg led throughout, jumping out to a 25-12 first-quarter lead and extending it to 51-33 by halftime. However, Bayern mounted a comeback, closing the gap in the third quarter (15-12) and dominating the fourth (25-9). In a dramatic finish, Giffey’s shot gave Bayern their first lead of the game, and Ludwigsburg’s final attempt by Ezra Manjon missed, ending the Swabians’ playoff hopes.
Niels Giffey earned Player of the Game honors with 12 points and 7 rebounds, while Ludwigsburg’s aggressive offensive rebounding (38 shots to Bayern’s 23 by halftime) couldn’t sustain their lead as Bayern intensified their defense in the second half. Before tipoff, Bayern’s Carsen Edwards and Nick Weiler-Babb were honored for their All EuroLeague 1st Team and Best Defender awards, respectively, but Edwards missed the game due to a back injury, alongside Onuralp Bitim (rotation decision). Ludwigsburg was without Yorman Polas Bartolo, Johannes and Jacob Patrick, and Booker Coplin, in addition to their long-term absentees.
With this win, Bayern enters the playoffs as the top seed, awaiting their quarterfinal opponent—either Berlin, Weißenfels, Rostock, or Oldenburg—pending the PlayIn results by Thursday evening. Ludwigsburg, finishing 11th, misses the postseason and heads into the offseason, reflecting on a game they led for 39 minutes and 51 seconds.
