– David Hein
Rickey Paulding once again showed easyCredit BBL fans why he’s a legend, setting a new personal scoring record of 36 points - as a 38-year-old - albeit in an EWE Baskets Oldenburg loss. The week saw FC Bayern Munich and ratiopharm ulm remain the last two undefeated teams standing as both ALBA BERLIN and Hamburg Towers lost for the first time. Also, Telekom Baskets Bonn and SYNTAINICS MBC collected their first victories of the season, leaving three winless teams.
In this section, we break out our English language skills and inform you about the latest news from the German easyCredit Basketball Bundesliga. If you’re short on time but still want your fill of Germany’s top basketball league then you are in the right place. Every week David Hein (www.heinnews.com) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Ulm stay undefeated in slugfest, hand Hamburg first loss
ratiopharm ulm remained undefeated in the league as they prevailed in a slugfest on the road 73-69 over Hamburg Towers, handing the hosts their first loss of the season. Ulm trailed by 13 points in the second quarter but led by nine in the fourth until Hamburg pulled within two points with 98 seconds left. But Hamburg failed to score on the next three possessions and Ulm moved to 5-0 and Hamburg dropped to 5-1. Ulm shot only 33.3 percent from the field but held Hamburg to 39.1 percent shooting and made 27-of-33 free throws to Hamburg’s 11-of-14 foul shots. Dylan Osetkowski paced Ulm with 17 points and 7 rebounds and Troy Caupain had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists. Jordan Swing was Hamburg’s top scorer with 19 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists and TJ Shorts picked up 17 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists.
Ludwigsburg hand Berlin first loss of season in Round 4 makeup game
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg handed reigning champions ALBA BERLIN their first loss of the season with a 78-71 victory at home in a Round 4 makeup game. Ludwigsburg had the game’s biggest lead of eight points in the fourth quarter and prevailed thanks to giving up only one basket in the final 2 minutes to send both teams to 4-1 records. Ludwigsburg connected on 18-of-21 free throws compared to 5-of-9 for Berlin, who only hit 22.9 percent on three-pointers. Elias Harris paced Ludwigsburg with 23 points and 10 rebounds while Jordan Hulls had 20 points on 6-of-9 three-pointers and Jaleen Smith flirted with a triple-double with 12 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. Peyton Siva had 13 points and 6 assists for Berlin, whose other four starters combined for only 30 points. Johannes Thiemann did pick up 11 points and 8 rebounds.
Berlin return to winning ways, down Bamberg at home
Reigning champions ALBA BERLIN bounced back from their first loss of the season to knock off Brose Bamberg 82-70 at home. Berlin led by 14 points in the third quarter but it was even in the final frame before the hosts reeled off a 12-0 run to move to 5-1 and drop Bamberg to 2-3. Berlin committed 10 turnovers and forced Bamberg into 19 turnovers. Peyton Siva scored 22 points to lead Berlin while Johannes Thiemann had 18 points and 7 rebounds and Jayson Granger and Luke Sikma combined for 16 points, 11 rebounds, 13 assists and 6 steals with just 1 turnover. David Kravish paced Bamberg with 20 points but the rest of the starters combined for just 21 points.
Crailsheim spoil career night by Paulding with home win
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim spoiled a career night by Rickey Paulding by grabbing a 94-80 home victory over EWE Baskets Oldenburg. In a close game for the first three quarters, Crailsheim went on a 9-2 run in the first four minutes off the fourth quarter to open a 13-point lead and move to 5-1 and send Oldenburg to a 4-2 mark. Crailsheim survived 21 turnovers by winning the battle of the glass 42-21 and shooting 55.7 percent, including 10-of-20 (50%) three-pointers and holding Oldenburg to 41.2 percent from the field. Elias Lasisi paced Crailsheim with 20 points and 8 rebounds while Bogdan Radosavljevic had16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists and Trae Bell-Haynes picked up 15 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists. Rickey Paulding poured in a career high 36 points with 5 three-pointers but the rest of the starting five combined for just 16 points - the same total that Braydon Hobbs had off the bench to go with 7 assists.
Paulding scores career high 36 points - at 38 years old
Rickey Paulding added another chapter to his amazing easyCredit BBL career by setting a new career high of 36 points in EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s loss to HARKO Merlins Crailsheim. Paulding hit 11-of-18 shots, including 5-of-9 three-pointers, and drained all nine of his free throws to eclipse his previous best of 34 points - which was set in 2009 against Ulm. Oh, and Paulding torched Crailsheim for 36 points at the tender age of 38.
Bonn grab first victory, Vechta still without a win
Telekom Baskets Bonn collected their first victory of the season as they knocked off RASTA Vechta 80-69 on the road. Bonn lost a double-digit second quarter lead but raced away in the fourth quarter to move to 1-5 while Vechta fell to 0-6. Bonn won the rebound battle 40-30 and held Vechta to 40.0 percent from the field, including going 0-of-11 from three-point range in the second half. Xavier Pollard came off the bench to pace six Bonn players in double figures with 14 points and 7 rebounds. Chris Babb had 13 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals and TJ DiLeo added 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals. Dennis Clifford led Vechta with 19 points and 11 rebounds, Stefan Peno had 17 points and 5 assists and Josh Young chipped in 16 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in the loss.
MBC fend off Göttingen for first win of season
SYNTAINICS MBC fended off BG Göttingen 93-85 on the road to collect their first victory of the season. MBC built an 18-point lead in the third quarter and saw Göttingen pull within three points with three minutes left, but the hosts scored just one basket the rest of the way. MBC improved to 1-4 and Göttingen fell to 2-4 after their third straight loss. MBC took the rebound battle 44-35 and held Göttingen just 40.8 percent from field. Michal Michalak paced the winners with 23 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and fellow reserve Roko Ragic had 20 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Shavon Coleman scored 19 points but the rest of the MBC’s starters totalled just 13 points. Aubrey Dawkins collected 24 points and 5 rebounds off the bench for Göttingen while Tai Odiase scored 19 points and Galen Robinson had 10 points and 6 assists.
Braunschweig keep rolling, down Bayreuth at home
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig continued to roll in the league as they downed medi bayreuth 90-79 at home for their fourth straight victory. Braunschweig pulled away in the second half of the third quarter and it was never close in the fourth quarter as Braunschweig moved to 4-2 and Bayreuth fell to 3-3. Braunschweig committed only seven turnovers and made 18-of-26 free throws compared to 5-of-9 free throws for Bayreuth. Karim Jallow collected 23 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists, Lukas Meisner drained 6 three-pointers in scoring 20 points and Gavin Schilling picked up 16 points and 11 rebounds to lead Braunschweig, who also had Bryon Allen tally 9 points, 8 rebounds and 11 assists. Derek Pardon paced Bayreuth with 21 points and Bastian Doreth added 7 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists.
Braunschweig win at home against Giessen in Round 4 makeup
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig used a fourth quarter surge to knock off JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 93-85 at home in a Round 4 makeup game. Braunschweig lost an 11-point first quarter lead and trailed in the fourth quarter but Bryon Allen picked up a four-point play and another three-pointer in a 9-0 run in the final frame. Braunschweig have won three straight to move to 3-2 while Giessen are still waiting for their first win at 0-3. Braunschweig committed only 6 turnovers and hit 25-of-33 free throws compared to 8-of-10 foul shots for Giessen to make up for hitting only 38.2 percent from the field. Karim Jallow led the way with 19 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals while Allen had 18 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and Gavin Schilling collected 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals. Scottie James tallied 21 points and 12 rebounds in the loss while Isaac Hamilton had 19 points and 7 assists and Jonathan Stark pitched in 10 points and 9 assists.
Ludwigsburg roll past Frankfurt on road
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg kept pace with the leaders of the league by rolling past FRAPORT SKYLINERS with a 94-80 road victory. Ludwigsburg built a double digit lead in the first quarter and never lost control of the game in moving to 5-1 with Frankfurt falling to 1-4. Ludwigsburg forced 21 Frankfurt turnovers and held the hosts to just 42.6 percent from the field. Elias Harris led Ludwigsburg with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals while Jaleen Smith tallied 17 points, 10 rebounds and 6 assists and Yorman Polas Bartolo picked up 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 4 steals. Frankfurt wasted Matt Mobley’s 21 points while Quantez Robertson collected 11 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists and Michael Kessens had 7 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks.
Frankfurt bring back playmaker Rahon until end of season
FRAPORT SKYLINERS reinforced their backcourt by signing Joe Rahon until the end of the season. The 27-year-old point guard returns to Frankfurt, where he played 18 games last season, including appearing in the 2020 season-ending tournament where he averaged 7.3 assists.
Würzburg pick up another road victory to keep Chemnitz winless
s.Oliver Würzburg remained perfect on the road as they knocked off NINERS Chemnitz 76-67 to keep the promoted side winless. Würzburg led by 22 points late in the third quarter and watched as Chemnitz pulled within six points but moved to 2-3 - 2-0 away from home. Chemnitz dropped to 0-6. Würzburg took the battle of the boards 39-28 and held Chemnitz to 41.4 percent shooting. Tayler Persons collected 19 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in the win and newly-acquired Alex King picked up 16 points, 6 rebounds and 2 steals. Isiaha Mike paced Chemnitz with 18 points while Marcus Thornton had 15 points and 10 assists and the starters scored just 20 points.
Würzburg welcome back King on loan, part ways with Downs
s.Oliver Würzburg received major reinforcements in their fight to stave off relegation in welcoming back veteran Alex King on loan from FC Bayern Munich until the end of the season. The 35-year-old King returns to Würzburg after seven years away - in which he won five titles. King, who is the easyCredit BBL’s leader in games played since the start of the recording data digitallly. He played 75 games with Würzburg from 2011 to 2013, helping the club reach the German semi-finals in 2012. King won two German Cups with ALBA BERLIN (2014, 2016), two German league crowns with Bayern (2018, 2019) and another German Cup (2018) with Munich. The arrival of King coincides with the departure of Micah Downs, whose contract was ended a week earlier than expected.
Undefeated Hamburg drop century on Giessen in Round 4 makeup
Hamburg Towers remained undefeated by dropping triple figures on JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers in a 100-79 home win in a Round 4 makeup game. Hamburg led 54-32 at halftime and never looked back in moving to 5-0 while Giessen fell to 0-4. Giessen committed 22 turnovers and shot only 24.0 percent from three-point range. Jordan Swing connected 8-of-8 three-pointers in scoring 28 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists to lead Hamburg while Maik Kotsar picked up 16 points and 5 rebounds and TJ Shorts had 13 points, 3 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals. Brandon Thomas scored 12 points as Giessen’s top scorer.
Bayern fight back to beat MBC in Round 4 makeup game
FC Bayern Munich faced a tougher battle than expected but remained undefeated with a 96-84 victory at SYNTAINICS MBC. The hosts led by 15 points in the second quarter and led late in the third quarter but Bayern took the fourth quarter 25-14 to move to 5-0 while MBC fell to 0-4. Bayern out-scored MBC 18-2 on second-chance points to make the difference. JaJuan Johnson led the guests with 22 points and 5 rebounds while DJ Seeley collected 17 points and 7 assists and Jalen Reynolds added 16 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals. Michal Michalak was MBC’s top weapon with 23 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists while Quinton Hooker tallied 13 points, 5 assists and 4 steals.
Bayern never threatened in blowout of Giessen
FC Bayern Munich were never challenged as they remained undefeated with a 93-71 home win over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. Bayern led 51-31 at halftime and moved to 6-0 while Giessen are still looking for their first win at 0-5. Bayern committed only 10 turnovers and forced 20 Giessen turnovers and held the guests to 41.4 percent shooting, surviving hitting only 5-of-19 threes (26.3 percent). Jalen Reynolds scored 24 points in just 14 minutes and JaJuan Johnson had 11 points and 7 rebounds for Bayern, who saw all 12 players score. Brandon Thomas paced Giessen with 15 points while Bjarne Kraushaar scored a career-high 13 points to go with 3 rebounds and 5 assists.
Crailsheim keep Chemnitz winless with Round 1 makeup victory
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim continued their strong early season by knocking off winless promoted side NINERS Chemnitz 88-76 in a Round 1 makeup game. Crailsheim gained control in the third quarter and kept Chemnitz at arm’s length in the final frame in moving to 4-1 while Chemnitz dropped to 0-5. Crailsheim out-rebounded Chemnitz 41-29 and forced them into 18 turnovers while hitting 34-of-40 free throws compared to 17-of-28 Chemnitz foul shots. Tim Coleman led Crailsheim with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists off the bench while Trae Bell-Haynes had 17 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 3 steals. Former Crailsheim big man Joe Lawson paced Giessen with 18 points.
Bayreuth down Vechta in Round 4 makeup
medi bayreuth kept RASTA Vechta winless on the season by collecting a 92-89 road victory in a Round 4 makeup game. Bayreuth led by 14 points in the fourth quarter and watched as Vechta cut it to three points but held on to win and move to 3-2 while Vechta fell to 0-5. Bayreuth committed only eight turnovers and made 24-of-28 free throws compared to 15-of-18 for Vechta. Frank Bartley paced the winners with 18 points while Derek Pardon and Matthew Tiby both had 17 points and Bastian Doreth collected 16 points and a career-high 11 assists. Dennis Clifford collected 20 points and 10 rebounds for Vechta.
Player of the Week
Rickey Paulding takes the Player of the Week honor this week for his magical showing in EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s loss against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. He scored a career-high 36 points while hitting 11-of-18, including 5-of-9 three-pointers and 9-of-9 free throws to go with 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block for an efficiency of 31 in the Round 6 game.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bastian Doreth, medi bayreuth
Doreth had one of the best games of his career against RASTA Vechta with 16 points - one off his career-high - while dishing out 11 assists, setting a new mark for his career. He then picked up 7 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
F: Karim Jallow, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Jallow doubled up with two outstanding games as he collected 19 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers and then picked up 23 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists versus medi bayreuth.
F: Gaving Schilling, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Schilling did his best to keep up with Karim Jallow and also had two excellent games, tallying 16 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers and then picking up 16 points and 11 rebounds against medi bayreuth.
F: Elias Harris, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Harris remains a regular on this team as he dominated twice for Ludwigsburg. He scored 23 points on 9-of-11 shots with 10 rebounds against ALBA BERLIN and then led the way with 18 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 5 steals versus FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
C: Bogdan Radosavljevic, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Radosavljevic continues to excel for Crailsheim as he had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal against NINERS Chemnitz and then collected 16 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in a win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
Young Guns
Justus Hollatz, 19, PG, Hamburg Towers
Hollatz made an argument for a spot in the above list but still is 19 years old so he can dominate the Young Guns section. The playmaker scored 7 points on 3-of-8 shots including 1-of-3 three-pointers to go with 4 rebounds, a career-high 8 assists and 3 steals in 28:52 minutes against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. He then scored a career-high 11 points on 5-of-10 shots including 1-of-2 three-pointers along with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block against ratiopharm ulm.
Jason George, 19, SG, FC Bayern Munich
George was one of the biggest beneficiaries of Bayern’s blowout of JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers as the 19-year-old had a career-high 6 points on 2-of-3 shots, including 1-of-2 three-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws. Appearing in his third game in the league but first this season, George also set a career high with 4 rebounds and added 1 steal in a career-high 13:10 minutes.
Luc van Slooten, 18, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Van Slooten had two decent games for Braunschweig as he had 7 points on 2-of-3 shots and 1-of-2 threes, 2 rebounds and 1 block in 11:50 minutes against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. He then had 6 points on 2-of-4 shots with 2-of-3 three-pointers, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steal in 9:40 minutes against medi bayreuth. But he fouled out against Giessen and had four fouls in the Bayreuth game.
Five Berlin natives on court at same time for ALBA against Fenerbahce
There was a special moment at the end of ALBA BERLIN’s surprising 89-63 blowout victory over Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague as five Berlin natives finished the game on the court at the same time for the German club. Jonas Mattisseck was subbed on with 3:17 minutes left in the game and joined Niels Giffey, Maodo Lo, Tim Schneider and Malte Delow as the fifth player born in the German capital. And four of them came up in the ALBA BERLIN youth ranks - the exception being Lo. There is another Berlin native - and graduate of ALBA’s youth - on the roster who could also take the court but Lorenz Brenneke is out injured.
Germans Abroad
There was a showdown of Germans in Turkey as Pinar Karsiyaka beat Bahcesehir Koleji Istanbul 82-79. Karsiyaka’s Mahir Agva scored 12 points while Ismet Akpinar went scoreless but had 6 assists for Bahcesehir.
