In the game All or Nothing, the Telekom Baskets Bonn need an increase in performance against Bayern Munich on Thursday.
The Telekom Baskets went with two defeats Bonn on the night of Monday to Tuesday back to the Rhineland. The Bonn team also lost the second game of the semi-final series to the defending champions from Munich. At 69:91 (27:50) from Bonn’s perspective, coach Marko Stankovic’s team suffered a clear defeat and another setback in a Munich demonstration of power.
The narrow defeat is still on our minds
On Saturday, Bonn narrowly missed out on a surprise after dominating game one for long stretches and only collapsing in the fourth quarter.
This disappointment of not being able to get the win over the finish line was clearly still in people’s minds on Monday in the second game. “The disappointment was great because we invested a lot of energy and strength in the game after a very, very strenuous series against Würzburg,” said Bonn’s sports director Savo Milovic in an interview with WDR: “We believed, we weren’t hiding. We played confidently against the best team in Germany.”
No courage, no enthusiasm, none determination
There wasn’t much of this belief in himself to be seen on Monday. Especially in the first half, Bonn showed one of the weakest performances in recent weeks, scoring only 27 points and allowing 50 points.
“It wasn’t the result of the first half that annoyed us a bit, but rather this fight for identity,” says Milovic, who saw an opponent “who wanted that more. Bayern came onto the field more aggressively, more focused. And that can’t happen to us.”
Bonn without point guard Murphy
For the entire 40 minutes, the Baskets lacked a leader who would make the right decision even in difficult situations. Grayson Murphy, the player who most recently took on exactly this role, had to take an injured break. “We have identified with this philosophy all year long that if one fails, the next one will step in,” says Milovic.
Murphy was replaced on Monday by Zac Cooks, who last played in mid-April. The summer newcomer had no access to the game in the first half and showed his skills too rarely.
Bonn’s last chance on Thursday
Even though Bonn got up to 14 points at one point, Bayern Munich always had an answer ready and had the game under control at all times. Bonn has the last chance to get back into the series and earn a second home game in game three on Thursday (6:30 p.m.).
“This is a do-or-die game. These are the games we like best, where we have already shown several times that we can do it. The important thing for us is not to hide,” says Milovic, who is also relying on the support of the 6,000 Bonn fans. “We will do everything in a burning Telekom dome to extend this series.”
In addition to Murphy, Bonn is also worried about Michael Kessens, who won the Champions League together with Bonn in 2023. The 35-year-old center had already collapsed on Saturday, bit his teeth on Monday and then had to watch the second half from the bench. “We’ll rest him for two days and hope he’ll be back on Thursday,” says Milovic.
Our sources:
- Interview with Bonn’s sports director Savo Milovic
- Game 2 between Bayern Munich and Bonn on June 1st, 2026 at Dyn
Broadcast: WDR.de, “Baskets Bonn before all-or-nothing game in semi-final three”, June 2nd, 2026, 8:41 p.m
