– David Hein
The 2020-21 MagentaSport BBL Pokal German Cup Top Four has been rescheduled and will be played on May 15-16 in Munich. The action on the court was highlighted by reigning league champions ALBA BERLIN blasting FC Bayern Munich on the road. The week also saw Rickey Paulding hit his 1,000 three-pointer in the German league and John Bryant grab his 3,000th rebound.
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:
Top Four rescheduled fro May 15-16 in Munich
The 2020-21 MagentaSport BBL Pokal German Cup Top Four has been rescheduled for May 15-16 in Munich. The event was originally slated to be played April 17-18 but was postponed shortly before tip-off at the Audi Dome when an unnamed player from BG Göttingen tested positive for SARS-CoV-2.
Berlin blast Bayern in Munich, hold tiebreaker
ALBA BERLIN ran away with a convincing 100-62 victory at FC Bayern Munich to lock up the tiebreaker over Bayern in the case of a tie in the standings. Berlin took the second quarter 29-9 and then out-scored Bayern 31-16 in the third quarter for a 24-6 record with Bayern dropping to 23-8. Berlin were on fire on offense, hitting 64.3 percent of their shots including 73.2 percent from close range while holding Bayern to just 41.7 percent from the field. Niels Giffey and Ben Lammers both scored 15 points for Berlin, who also had Maodo Lo and Jayson Granger combine for 24 points and 9 assists and Luke Sikma pick up 8 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. DJ Seeley was Bayern’s leading scorer with 16 points and Leon Radosevic scored 13 points as head coach Andrea Trinchieri sat most of his key players in the second half.
Ludwigsburg extend win streak, John Bryant grabs 3,000th rebound
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg extended their winning streak to seven games as they defeated JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers on the road - in a game where John Bryant grabbed his 3,000 rebound in the easyCredit BBL. Ludwigsburg built a 27-point third quarter lead and fended off a Giessen comeback to move to 27-2 with Giessen losing their third straight for a 6-24 mark - three wins fewer than SYNTAINICS MBC and s.Oliver Würzburg. Ludwigsburg committed two fewer turnovers and made 13-of-16 free throws to 5-of-7 for Giessen. Jaleen Smith paced the winners with 17 points, 5 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals but needed to be helped off the court after an injury. Jamel McLean scored 16 points and Yorman Polas Bartolo and Desi Rodriguez both added 14 points in the win. Diante Garrett was Giesen’s main man with 22 points and 7 assists and Bryant picked up 15 points and 6 rebounds - joining Chris Ensminger (4,093) as the only other player in Bundesliga history with 3,000 rebounds. Brandon Thomas also set a career mark with his 500th three-pointer in Germany’s top flight.
Chemnitz beat Hamburg in Round 22 on Thorton buzzer three
NINERS Chemnitz wasted a 16-point fourth quarter lead but still managed to beat Hamburg Towers as Marcus Thornton drained a three-pointer at the buzzer for a 98-97 home win in Round 22. Chemnitz improved to 11-18 as they shot 66.0 percent for the game to make up for 21 turnovers. Hamburg saw their nine-game winning streak snapped to fall to 19-10 despite committing only 7 turnovers. Thornton finished with 23 points, George King collected 20 points and 9 rebounds, Terry Allen had 18 points and 11 assists and Jonas Richter added 12 points and 4 rebounds. Kam Taylor paced Hamburg with 23 points and TJ Shorts scored 19 points.
Hamburg bounce back to beat Würzburg for sixth straight home win
Hamburg Towers bounced back from their loss to NINERS Chemnitz as they beat s.Oliver Würzburg 95-83 for their sixth straight home win. Hamburg finished the game on a 10-0 run to move to 20-10 and Würzburg fell to 9-20. Hamburg committed only 6 turnovers and made 22-of-24 free throws to 11-of-17 foul shots for Würzburg. Maik Kotsar paced Hamburg with 21 points and 7 rebounds, former star lacrosse player Patrick Spencer picked up 18 points and 7 rebounds in his debut, Terry Allen scored 15 points and TJ Shorts chipped in 14 points and 10 assists. Perry Jones and Robert Lowery both scored 17 points to lead Würzburg and Cameron Hunt had 10 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists.
Hamburg extend deal with Kotsar until 2022
Hamburg Towers locked up an important piece of their successful season as they extended their deal with Maik Kotsar until 2022. The Estonian has been one of the revelations of the 2020-21 season - his first as a professional after finishing his collegiate career with South Carolina in the United States.
Paulding hits 1,000th triple in Oldenburg home win over Bamberg in Round 29
EWE Baskets Oldenburg prevailed in a shootout at home over Brose Bamberg with a 100-99 victory over Brose Bamberg in a Round 29 make-up game. Oldenburg led 98-89 with 81 seconds left but Bennet Hundt’s three-pointer closed the game to 100-99 with 16 seconds left. Rickey Paulding and Tomislav Gabric both missed two free throws in the final 6 seconds but Oldenburg held on to move to 22-7 and Bamberg fell to 15-14. Oldenburg committed only 9 turnovers and made 17-of-29 three-pointers (58.6 percent). Rickey Paulding led the way with 26 points including 5 three-pointers - becoming the first player in easyCredit BBL history with 1,000 made triples. Rasid Mahalbasic added 15 points and 7 rebounds and Paul Pressey had 10 points and 7 assists in the win. Christian Sengfelder led Bamberg with 15 points, Hundt finished with 12 points and 5 assists and David Kravish added 10 points and 11 rebounds in the defeat.
Ulm win at home over Oldenburg for first victory over top-five team
ratiopharm ulm picked up an important 93-75 victory over EWE Baskets Oldenburg as Jaka Lakovic’s team won their first game over a top-five team this season. Ulm trailed by 12 points in the first quarter and were still down in the fourth before reeling off a 12-0 run for their fifth straight win and a 19-11 record with Oldenburg falling to 22-8. Ulm shot a blistering 57.6 percent from the field with Troy Caupain collecting 26 points, 8 rebounds and 3 assists, Cameron Clark picking up 26 points, 7 rebounds and 5 steals and Dylan Osetkowski adding 15 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Keith Hornsby’s 23 points led Oldenburg with Rasid Mahalbasic tallying 10 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists.
Braunschweig beat Berlin on road in Round 29
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig picked up a big win for their confidence as they defeated ALBA BERLIN 87-82 on the road in a Round 29 make-up game. The young Braunschweig team improved to 11-18 as they beat Berlin 11 days after knocking off FC Bayern Munich with Berlin falling to 24-5. Braunschweig converted 62.9 percent of their two-pointers while Berlin hit just 47.4 percent from close range. Benedikt Turudic paced the winners with 20 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals, Martin Peterka scored 17 points and James Robinson added 16 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Luke Sikma led Berlin with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Braunschweig keep alive slim playoff hopes with win at Bayreuth
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig kept alive their slim hopes for the playoffs by knocking off medi bayreuth 77-64 on the road. Braunschweig took the second quarter 21-9 and improved to 12-18 - three-wins fewer than Brose Bamberg - with Bayreuth moving to 11-19 with a fourth straight loss. Braunschweig held Bayreuth to just 34.9 percent shooting while committing only 7 turnovers. Arnas Velicka led the way with 11 points, Karim Jallow had 10 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals and Gavin Schillling pitched in 10 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Andreas Seiferth picked up 13 points and 11 rebounds as only player in double figures for Bayreuth.
Hooker leads MBC to crucial win at Frankfurt
SYNTAINICS MBC picked up a crucial victory in their fight against relegation with an 81-76 road win over FRAPORT SKYLINERS. The game was tight throughout before Quinton Hooker hit a big three-pointer with 28 seconds left for a 78-76 lead and then iced the game with two free throws with 4 seconds to play. MBC have won two of three games for a 9-22 record - three wins more than JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers with Frankfurt falling to 11-17. MBC held Frankfurt to just 42.2 percent from the field. Hooker finished with 37 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, Kyndahl Hill had 15 points and 10 rebounds and Sergio Kerusch added 14 points, 12 rebounds and 3 steals. Matt Mobley paced Frankfurt with 24 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 3 steals and Joe Rahon chipped in 16 points and 9 assists in the loss.
Crailsheim run away from Vechta at home
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim remained alive in the race for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a 98-81 home victory over RASTA Vechta. Crailhseim lost a 17-point second quarter lead and then took control of the game again with a 24-7 run spanning the final two quarters to move to 21-9 - one game behind EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Vechta lost their second straight for a 5-25 record - four wins fewer than SYNTAINICS MBC and s.Oliver Würzburg. Crailsheim had only 11 turnovers with 27 assists and shot 61.4 percent from the field, including 72.0 percent on two-pointers while holding Vechta to just 44.4 percent. Jeremy Jones paced Crailsheim with 22 points, Nimrod Hilliard had 13 points and 6 assists and Fabien Bleck chipped in 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals. Philipp Herkenhoff led Vechta with 19 points with 5 three-pointers and 4 assists and Edgar Sosa picked up 16 points and 6 assists.
Bonn snap losing streak at home over Chemnitz
Telekom Baskets Bonn snapped a four-game losing streak as they knocked off NINERS Chemnitz 86-62 at home. Bonn went on a 23-0 run in the first quarter and were never challenged the rest of the way as both teams moved to 11-19. Chemnitz committed 18 turnovers and shot only 38.1 percent. Strahinja Micovic and Chris Babb both scored 15 points to lead Bonn with Alex Hamilton picking up 13 points, 5 assists and 6 steals and Leon Kratzer tallying 10 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks. Jonas Richter paced Chemnitz with 16 points and 9 rebounds and Marcus Thornton had 13 points and 8 assists.
Würzburg end losing skid with Round 22 home win over Bamberg
s.Oliver Würzburg ended their five-game losing streak as they knocked off Brose Bamberg 82-78 in a Round 22 make-up game. Würzburg came back from a 14-point second quarter deficit and held off Bamberg in the end thanks to Robert Lowery’s layup with 4 seconds remaining to move to 9-19 and Bamberg fell to 15-13. Würzburg forced 18 Bamberg turnovers and the guests made just 9-of-14 free throws. Cameron Hunt paced the winners with 15 points and 7 assists, Murphy Holloway had 14 points, 6 rebounds and 6 steals and Tyson Ward chipped in 13 points in the win. Christian Sengfelder was Bamberg’s leader with 19 points and 6 rebounds and Chase Fieler and Devon Hall both had 14 points in the loss.
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week for Round 30 goes to Quinton Hooker for his showing in SYNTAINICS MBC’s win over FRAPORT SKYLINERS. Hooker picked up an efficiency of 38 with 37 points on 12-of-20 shots (6-of-9 threes) and 7-of-9 free throws to go with 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals. The 37 points is a new club record, surpassing Wendell Alexis’ 35 points from October 25, 2003.
German Top Five of the Week
F: Fabien Bleck, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
We have a big team this week with Bleck starting off the Top Five with 10 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals in a win over RASTA Vechta.
F: Sergio Kerusch, SYNTAINICS MBC
Kerusch was outstanding in MBC’s win over FRAPORT SKYLINERS with 14 points, 12 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 block.
F: Philipp Herkenhoff, RASTA Vechta
Herkenhoff continues to play well since his return as he collected 19 points with 5 three-pointers, 1 rebound and 4 assists against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
F: Jonas Richter, NINERS Chemnitz
Richter had two strong games this week as he collected 12 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in a win over Hamburg Towers and followed that with 16 points, 9 rebounds and 1 assists against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
C: Leon Kratzer, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Kratzer is on the list again for his outstanding showing against NINERS Chemnitz with 10 points, 12 rebounds and 3 blocks.
Young Guns
Luc van Slooten, 19, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Van Slooten started in both of Braunschweig’s wins this week. He picked up 3 points on 1-of-3 three-pointers, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 turnover in 17:20 minutes in a Round 29 game against ALBA BERLIN. Van Slooten followed that with 8 points on 3-of-8 shots (1-of-4 threes) and 1-of-2 free throws, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 2 steals in 20:18 minutes against medi bayreuth.
Kay Bruhnke, 19, SG, medi bayreuth
Bruhnke collected 5 points on 2-of-5 shots (1-of-4 threes), 1 rebound, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 turnovers in 17:39 minutes against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
Simonas Lukosius, 18, SG, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Lukosius played a solid role in Bonn’s win over NINERS Chemnitz with 2 points on 1-of-3 shots (0-of-1 threes), 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover.
Hollatz Check
The Hamburg Towers and playmaker Justus Hollatz went 1-1 this week as they continue to fight for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. In a Round 22 make-up game against NINERS Chemnitz, Hollatz started and collected 12 points on 3-of-9 shots (1-of-5 threes) and 5-of-7 free throws, 2 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal and 2 turnovers in 31:59 minutes of a loss. Between that defeat and Hamburg’s game against s.Oliver Würzburg, Hollatz turned 20 years old and then tallied 5 points on 2-of-7 shooting (1-of-3 threes) 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 turnovers in 22:35 minutes of the win. Hollatz is a nominee for the German Youth Player of the Season.
Germans Abroad
Isaiah Hartenstein has stepped up his game since being traded from the Denver Nuggets to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The 22-year-old is averaging 8.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.2 blocks in nearly 19 minutes over 12 games. Hartenstein has scored in double figures in each of the last three games with at least 5 rebounds as well.
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Nachwuchs
