Bayern Munich had an up-and-down week as they celebrated one of the biggest successes in German basketball history by becoming the first easyCredit BBL team to qualify for the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague playoffs. But Bayern then lost at JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers in the league. This week’s action also saw Per Günther drain his 500th three-pointer in the Bundesliga and Hamburg Towers beat Brose Bamberg for a sixth straight win.
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:
Giessen shock Bayern at home in major win for relegation fight
JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers picked up a major victory in their fight against relegation by shocking FC Bayern Munich 95-94 at home. Two days after making EuroLeague history, Bayern were down 95-90 with 19 seconds left when Paul Zipser was fouled taking a three-pointer. He made the first two free throws and rebounded his own miss on the third and put it back to pull within 95-94. Brandon Bowman turned the ball over with 8 seconds left but Zipser missed the potential game-winning three as Giessen beat Bayern for the first time in 17 attempts. Giessen snapped a five-game losing streak to move to 5-21 while Bayern, who were without head coach Andrea Trinchieri for family reasons, dropped their second in a row for a 21-6 record. Giessen dominated the glass 42-29 and also made 26-of-31 free throws compared to 14-of-21 for Bayern. Jonathan Stark scored 25 points with 6 three-pointers for Giessen with Diante Garrett picking up 14 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, John Bryant adding 12 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 blocks and Scottie James also collecting a double-double of 12 points and 10 rebounds. Robin Amaize scored a season-high 17 points for Bayern, Diego Flaccadori added 15 points and 7 assists and Zipser finished with 15 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists.
Bayern make history: First German team to reach EuroLeague playoffs
FC Bayern Munich made history this week as they became the first team from the easyCredit BBL to reach the playoffs of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Bayern defeated Zalgiris Kaunas 71-70 to qualify for the round of the last eight teams in Europe’s elite club competition.
Hamburg extend winning streak to six after beating Bamberg
Hamburg Towers remained one of the hottest teams in the league by knocking off Brose Bamberg 76-64 on the road for their sixth straight victory. After beating Germany’s two EuroLeague teams last week, Hamburg allowed only nine points in the second quarter and led 42-15 at halftime and were never threatened the rest of the way in beating the country’s sole team in the Basketball Champions League. While Hamburg moved to 16-9, Bamberg saw their five-game winning streak come to an end in falling to 13-12. Hamburg committed only 8 turnovers and forced 18 for Bamberg, who shot only 39.3 percent for the game. Maik Kotsar paced Hamburg with 22 points and 8 rebounds, Kam Taylor collected 16 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and TJ Shorts added 10 points and 7 assists. David Kravish led Bamberg with 12 points and 9 rebounds and Bennet Hundt had 11 points and 6 assists while the starting five combined for only 21 points.
Günther hits 500th three-pointer, Ulm snap four-game skid in Round 29
win
ratiopharm ulm snapped a four-game losing streak by racing past s.Oliver Wiürzburg 88-64 at home in a Round 29 game. Ulm took control with a 28-13 second quarter for a 15-11 record while Würzburg lost their fourth straight for an 8-18 record. Ulm forced 21 Würzburg turnovers while shooting 57.7 percent from the field. Dylan Osetkowski led the way with 21 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists while Per Günther scored 10 points including hitting the 500th three-pointer in his career - one of only 13 players to accomplish that feat in the Bundesliga. Cameron Hunt paced Würzburg with 15 points.
Ulm use triples for comfortable home win over Braunschweig
ratiopharm ulm used their long-range bombers to roll past Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 91-57 at home. Ulm allowed just 25 points in the second half for their second win in a row for a 16-11 mark while Braunschweig have lost five of six to fall to 9-17. Ulm drained 15-of-26 on three-pointers for 57.7 percent while committing only eight turnovers and holding Braunschweig to just 36.2 percent shooting. Andi Obst hit 4 three-pointers in scoring 20 points, Troy Caupain added 16 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Thomas Klepeisz picked up 12 points. Karim Jallow was Braunschweig’s only player in double figures with 23 points and 5 rebounds.
Bayreuth have little trouble at home with Vechta
medi bayreuth stayed close to the playoff ranks as they had little trouble with RASTA Vechta in a 95-79 home victory. Bayreuth took control of the game with a 29-11 second quarter to move to 11-15 while Vechta have lost three in a row for a 4-22 record. Bayreuth shot 58.1 percent from the floor to make up for committing 19 turnovers and also hit 21-of-28 free throws compared to 10-of-18 for Vechta. Derek Pardon led the winners with 20 points and 9 rebounds while Osvaldas Olisevicius picked up 15 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists and Andreas Seiferth had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Edgar Sosa and Jesse Hunt both had 15 points and 3 assists for Vechta and Philipp Herkenhoff picked up 11 points in his first game since December 27.
Vechta fire Thomas Päch, name assistant Derrick Allen as successor
RASTA Vechta became the third Bundesliga team this season to make a coaching change as the struggling club fired Thomas Päch as head coach and named his assistant Derrick Allen as his successor. Päch, who was fired during last season at Telekom Baskets Bonn, guided Vechta to just a 4-21 record. The 40-year-old Allen, who played for Vechta from 2015 to 2017, takes over and was given a contract extension to the end of the 2021-22 season. The Vechta move follows JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers getting rid of Ingo Freyer and Bonn parting ways with Igor Jovovic.
Berlin win again over Bonn in “Mother of all games”
ALBA BERLIN came back to beat Telekom Baskets Bonn 80-75 on the road in the so-called “Mother of all games”. Berlin trailed by 14 points in the first quarter but built up a 13 point lead in the fourth quarter to move to 22-4 and a 47-23 record over Bonn, who fell to 10-16. Berlin held Bonn to just 36.9 percent from the field with Luke Sikma collecting 17 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, Peyton Siva scoring 15 points and Jayson Granger picking up 4 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists. Chris Babb paced Bonn with 18 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, Isaiah Philmore scored 16 points and TJ DiLeo added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Bonn prevail in offensive spectacle in Braunschweig in Round 10 make-up
Telekom Baskets Bonn prevailed in an offensive spectacle at Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 94-93 in a Round 10 make-up game. Braunschweig wasted an 18-point lead but were still up by six points with 35 seconds left when Chris Babb drained a three-pointer followed by an offensive foul on Karim Jallow. Braunschweig’s Gavin Schilling committed an unsportsmanlike foul resulting in two Isaiah Philmore free throws and on the ensuing possession Strahinja Micovic tipped in Alex Hamilton’s missed three-pointer with 3.3 seconds to play for the win. Bonn moved to 10-15 and Braunschweig dropped to 9-16 with their seventh loss in the last 10 games. Bonn shot 62.3 percent from the field, including an amazing 77.1 percent on two-pointers to help make up for 18 turnovers and allowing Braunschweig to make 16 three-pointers. Micovic scored 23 points off the bench, Hamilton had 22 points and Babb picked up 20 points and 6 assists. James Robinson paced Braunschweig with 21 points and 5 assists, Arnas Velicka added 18 points and 9 assists and Jallow scored 18 points.
Frankfurt keep close in playoffs hunt with home win over Crailsheim
FRAPORT SKYLINERS bounced back from their loss to NINERS Chemnitz to beat HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 92-84 at home and stay in the race for the playoffs. Matt Mobley and Jon Axel Gudmundsson hit big back-to-back three-pointers in the fourth quarter as Frankfurt improved to 11-16 with Crailsheim falling to 18-8 - two games behind EWE Baskets Oldenburg for fourth place. Frankfurt won the game from beyond the arc with 16-of-34 three-pointers for 47.1 percent. Mobley finished with 26 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Gudmundsson had 22 points and 5 assists and Bruno Vrcic added 16 points in the win. Trae Bell-Haynes collected 21 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals, Jeremy Jones added 16 points and 5 rebounds and Bogdan Radosavljevic contributed 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Chemnitz win thriller with MBC on road, clear more space from drop zone
NINERS Chemnitz picked up their second straight win as they beat SYNTAINICS MBC 86-84 in a thriller on the road. Chemnitz built a 15-point lead in the second quarter but lost it in the third and it was back and forth the rest of the way. Terrell Harris’ jumper made it 85-82 with 11 seconds left and then George King blocked Michal Michalak’s three-pointer attempt with 6 seconds left before Quinton Hooker committed a turnover with 2.3 seconds to play as Chemnitz moved to 10-16 and MBC lost their seventh straight for a 7-21 record. Chemnitz dominated the glass 48-30 including 21 offensive rebounds, helping make up for their 44.3 percent shooting. Isiaha Mike led the way with 19 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists, King finished with 16 points and 7 rebounds and Harris and Marcus Thornton both hit 15 points and combined for 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Michalak led all scorers with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 3 steals and Roko Rogic collected 17 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
Chemnitz beat Frankfurt, move closer to playoffs than relegation zone
NINERS Chemnitz moved closer to the playoffs ranks than the relegation zone with an 89-76 road victory over FRAPORT SKYLINERS. Chemnitz took over in the second quarter to move to 9-16 with Frankfurt falling to 10-16 after a third straight loss. Chemnitz connected on 56.7 percent of their shots including 50.0 percent from long range. Terrell Harris led the way with 21 points and 5 assists, Isiaha Mike scored 18 points and Marcus Thornton had 14 points. Matt Mobley tallied 27 points with 7 three-pointers, Jon Axel Gudmundsson collected 13 points and 5 assists and Quantez Robertson finished with 8 points, 9 assists and 5 steals.
Göttingen beat Chemnitz at home in Round 21 for third straight win
BG Göttingen came up with a strong defensive performance in knocking off NINERS Chemnitz 68-55 in a Round 21 make-up game. Göttingen were never challenged in the fourth quarter for their third straight win and a 10-15 mark while Chemnitz have lost seven straight on the road for an 8-16 record. Chemnitz shot just 34.9 percent for the game including 28.6 percent from long range. Rihards Lomazs hit 5 three-pointers for 18 points while Tai Odiase had 14 points and 9 rebounds and Mathis Mönninghoff added 11 points and 7 rebounds. Marcus Thornton led Chemnitz with 15 points and Filip Stanic had 7 points and 8 rebounds in his second game back.
Ludwigsburg end Göttingen win streak
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg extended their winning streak to five games as they knocked off BG Göttingen 90-81 on the road. Ludwigsburg lost a 12-points lead from the beginning of the second half and then had a big fourth quarter for a 25-2 record while Göttingen had their three-game winning streak stopped in falling to 10-16. Ludwigsburg committed only 9 turnovers to 16 for Göttingen, who finished the game without their coach as Roel Moors was given two technical fouls. Tremmell Darden poured in 21 points, Jaleen Smith collected 15 points and 9 assists and Oscar Da Silva picked up 10 points and 4 rebounds in the win. Rihards Lomazs finished with 21 points and 5 assists for Göttingen, who also saw Tai Odiase tally 20 points, 11 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Ludwigsburg roll on with Round 29 home victory over MBC
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg avoided any sort of letdown as they rolled past SYNTAINICS MBC 93-74 at home in a Round 29 game. Ludwigsburg led by 10 points after 10 minutes and it was 51-35 at halftime as they won their fourth straight for a 24-2 record while MBC fell to 7-20 with their six loss in a row. Ludwigsburg committed only 9 turnovers and held MBC to just 35.4 percent from the field. Barry Brown paced Ludwigsburg with 19 points, Tremmell Darden scored 13 points and Jordan Hulls finished with 10 points and 9 assists. Michal Michalak was MBC’s top weapon with 21 points and 8 rebounds and Quinton Hooker collected 11 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists.
Oldenburg totally dominate Würzburg on the road
EWE Baskets Oldenburg completely dominated s.Oliver Würzburg with a 116-66 road victory. Oldenburg already led 48-32 at the break and then took the third quarter 30-12 for the seventh-biggest victory in league history since the start of data collection. Oldenburg moved to 20-6 with their third straight win while Würzburg dropped to 8-18 including 1-11 at home. Oldenburg shot 63.2 percent for the game including 20-of-37 three-pointers for 54.1 percent. The guests also dominated the glass 38-25 and forced 18 turnovers. Keith Hornsby led the winners with 25 points with 4 three-pointers while new addition Tomislav Gabric tallied 20 points on 6-of-8 three-pointers, Rickey Paulding scored 20 points and Braydon Hobbs pitched in 10 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists. Cameron Hunt and Felix Koch combined for 35 points in the loss.
Oldenburg add Croatian Gabric as Boothe injury replacement
EWE Baskets Oldenburg reacted to the injury to Nathan Boothe by signing Croatian international power forward Tomislav Gabric. The 25-year-old Gabric arrives in Oldenburg after playing with Enea Astoria from the Polish top flight. Gabric had a lot of success with Croatia’s youth national teams, winning the FIBA U16 European Championship 2011 and FIBA U18 European Championship 2012 titles while taking second at the FIBA U18 European Championship 2013 and third place at the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2012.
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week honor for Round 26 goes to Derek Pardon in medi bayreuth’s win over RASTA Vechta. Pardon had an efficiency of 29 as he scored 20 points on 7-of-7 shooting and 6-of-9 free throws to go with 9 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steak, 1 block and just 1 turnover.
German Top Five of the Week
G: TJ DiLeo, Telekom Baskets Bonn
DiLeo had two solid games for Bonn as he picked up 8 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist in Round 10 against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig and then collected 12 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists versus ALBA BELIN in Round 10.
G: Bastian Doreth, medi bayreuth
Doreth only scored 9 points against RASTA Vechta but he hit all three of his three-point attempts - including the 300th of his career - to go with 5 rebounds and 6 assists.
F: Karim Jallow, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Braunschweig lost two more games but Jallow did all he could. In the Round 10 loss to Telekom Baskets Bonn, he had 18 points and 2 rebounds and followed that with 23 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block against ratiopharm ulm in Round 26.
F: Philipp Herkenhoff, RASTA Vechta
Herkenhoff collected 11 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal in the loss to medi bayreuth in his first game since just after Christmas.
C: Bogdan Radosavljevic, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Radosavljevic played well against FRAPORT SKYLINERS but could not help them get the win. He finished with 15 points, 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Young Guns
Bruno Vrcic, 20, SG, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Vrcic had a career high this week as he drained 3 three-pointers in scoring a personal record 16 points on 5-of-7 shots (3-of-5 threes) and 3-of-3 free throws to go with 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 22:51 minutes against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. That came after he had 4 points on 2-of-5 shots (0-of-3 threes), 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 14:40 minutes against NINERS Chemnitz.
Lukas Herzog, 19, PF, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Herzog did not put up big numbers this week but he did help Ludwigsburg to two wins. He had 3 points on 1-of-3 shots (1-of-2 threes), 1 rebound, 2 steals and 1 turnover in 20:56 minutes against SYNTAINICS MBC. Herzog then scored 3 points on 1-of-3 three-pointers in 8:25 minutes versus BG Göttingen.
Luc van Slooten, 18, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Van Slooten started both games for Braunschweig this week - though both were losses. Against ratiopharm ulm, the 18-year-old had 3 points on 1-of-7 shots (1-of-6 threes), 3 rebounds and 1 turnover in 22:35 minutes. He also went scoreless on 0-of-3 shooting (0-of-2 threes) with 1 steal and 2 turnovers in 16:24 minutes against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
Hollatz Check
Justus Hollatz played a major role in Hamburg Towers extending their winning streak to six games by beating Brose Bamberg. The 19-year-old collected 8 points on 4-of-8 shots (0-of-1 threes), 2 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steals and 0 turnovers in 28:19 minutes.
Q2 | 42:44 - Gute Teamleistung in Halbzeit 1 - Bruno Vrcic bereits mit 9 Punkten, Matt Mobley hat 13 Punkte auf dem Konto????????
— FRAPORT SKYLINERS (@skyliners1999) April 4, 2021
_
Alle Spiele der easyCredit BBL LIVE bei MagentaSport pic.twitter.com/cQEB0BCWAg
Germans Abroad
Franz Wagner just missed out on reaching the 2021 NCAA Tournament Final Four as Michigan lost to underdogs UCLA 51-49 in the Elite Eight. The former ALBA BERLIN talent struggled with his shooting, hitting just 1-of-10 shots including 0-of-4 on three-pointers in scoring just 4 points to go with 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in 34 minutes.
