All four higher seeds have raced away to 2-0 leads in their playoffs, including Telekom Baskets Bonn, who got MVP-worthy performances by the league’s Most Valuable Player Parker Jackson-Cartwright against Hamburg Towers. There was also major drama in Ludwigsburg where MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and ratiopharm ulm twice went to overtime though Ludwigsburg won both times. Off the court, Pedro Calles said he will be leaving Hamburg after the season while Ingo Freyer will not be back at EWE Baskets Oldenburg and Roel Moors announced he will be staying at BG Göttingen.
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:
MVP PJC carries Bonn past Hamburg again for 2-0 lead
Parker Jackson-Cartwright showed why he was the season MVP as he poured in 41 points to once again carry Telekom Baskets Bonn past Hamburg Towers 89-81 at home for a 2-0 lead in their series. Hamburg controlled most of the first half with a 12 point lead and were leading 46-37 at the break. But Bonn took the third quarter 29-16 and got nine points from Jackson-Cartwright in the final 2:29 minutes to grab the win. Bonn forced 19 Hamburg turnovers to help make up for shooting just 40.3 percent for the game while Hamburg hit just 29.0 percent from long range and made just 16-of-29 free throws for 55.2 percent. Besides Jackson-Cartwright, Bonn had Javontae Hawkins score 18 points with 8 rebounds and Saulius Kulvietis scored 10 points. Jaylon Brown paced Hamburg with 21 points, Caleb Homesley scored 15 points and Maik Kotsar picked up 8 points and 15 rebounds. Game 3 will be played on Friday May 20 in Hamburg.
PJC, Hawkins carry Bonn to thrilling Game 1 OT win over Hamburg
Telekom Baskets Bonn got 36 points from Parker Jackson-Wright and Javontae Hawkins drained the game-winning three-pointer with 1.0 seconds left in a thrilling 100-98 overtime win at home over Hamburg Towers in Game 1. The game was back and forth throughout as nine points was the biggest lead and there were 11 lead changes and nine ties. Hamburg did lead by eight points with under 4 minutes in regulation but Bonn drained three three-pointers down the stretch including Hawkins’ triple with 14 seconds left to force overtime. Seth Hinrichs looked like he gave Hamburg the win with a tip-in with 4.8 seconds left only to have Hawkins strike again from the logo for the win. Hamburg committed 23 turnovers which took away their shooting advantage of 51.4 percent to 43.6 percent while Bonn drained 17 three-pointers. Jackson-Cartwright also collected 4 rebounds, 8 assists and 7 steals in the win while Hawkins finished with 22 points and Saulius Kulvietis had 16 points. Jaylon Brown was Hamburg’s leading scorer with 27 points with Maik Kotsar collecting 21 points and 11 rebounds, Caleb Homesley pouring in 20 points - but committing 10 turnovers - and Justus Hollatz chipping in 11 points and 8 assists.
Calles to leave Hamburg after season
Hamburg Towers will need to find a new head coach for 2022-23 as their Spanish playcaller Pedro Calles will be leaving the club after the season. The 38-year-old guided Hamburg to the playoffs in both seasons in northern Germany and also coached the Towers in the 7DAYS EuroCup this season.
Ludwigsburg need OT again, beat Ulm for 2-0 lead
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and ratiopharm ulm worked overtime again in Game 2 of their series and just like in the opening contest, Ludwigsburg pulled it out at home, registering an 81-77 victory for a 2-0 lead. Neither team could ever pull away with Ulm opening a nine-point lead in the second quarter as the biggest cushion. The game saw 18 lead changes and 8 ties. Ludwigsburg were up by four points with 95 seconds left but Semaj Christon scored for Ulm with 36 seconds remaining to force overtime. The hosts opened the extra session with a 9-2 run and carried the lead to a second win. Ludwigsburg shot only 39.2 percent from the field but took 79 field goal attempts - 25 more than Ulm thanks to just eight turnovers and 17 offensive rebounds. Yorman Polas Bartolo scored 19 points to lead Ludwigsburg while Jonah Radebaugh collected 17 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and James Woodard had 13 points. Christon finished with 23 points and Jaron Blossomgame tallied 20 points in the loss. Game 3 will take place on Thursday May 19 in Ulm.
Ludwigsburg survive Ulm, record-breaking Blossomgame in double-OT
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg took a 1-0 lead in their playoffs series with ratiopharm ulm by surviving a record-breaking performance by Ulm’s Jaron Blossomgame in a 104-99 victory in double overtime. Ulm took a 12-point lead in the third quarter but Ludwigsburg answered with a 14-2 run to even the game later in the frame and the rest of the game was tight. Jonah Radebaugh’s three-pointer with 11 seconds left sent the game to overtime while Sindarius Thornwell hit a layup with 5 seconds remaining for Ulm to extend the game another five minutes. Ulm led 99-98 with 30 seconds left in the second overtime until Justin Simon scored a layup and James Woodard and Tremmell Darden both buried two free throws in the final 8 seconds for the win. Ludwigsburg committed only 11 turnovers in 50 minutes and made 14 three-pointers to 6 for Ulm, who made 33-of-41 free throws to just 12-of-15 for the hosts. Radebaugh ended with 20 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists, Woodard had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 6 assists and Darden and Jordan Hulls both chipped in 15 points. Blossomgame was unstoppable for Ulm with 41 points - including 16-of-17 free throws - 16 rebounds, 2 assists and 12 fouls drawn for an efficiency of 50 - setting a new easyCredit BBL record since the start of digital data collection in 1998, surpassing the 48 from Denis Wucherer in 2004 and John Bryant in 2018. Thornwell scored 17 points, Sean Evans had 16 points and 9 rebounds and Karim Jallow added 12 points but Semaj Christon was held to just 4 points.
Hulls to retire after season, join coaching staff of alma mater Indiana University
Another big name in the easyCredit BBL will retire after the season as Jordan Hulls of MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg announced he will be hanging up his sneakers to next season join the coaching staff of his alma mater Indiana University as Team and Recruiting Coordinator. The 32-year-old Hulls played four seasons with the Hoosiers. He joined Ludwigsburg in 2020 and is finishing his sixth season in the league.
Hot start enough for Bayern to take 2-0 lead over Chemnitz
FC Bayern Munich used a strong start to the game in knocking off NINERS Chemnitz 93-76 at home to take a 2-0 lead in their first round series. Bayern made sure Chemnitz did not have any high hopes with a 27-13 first quarter and dominated the rest of the game. Bayern committed only 10 turnovers and shot 63.9 percent on two-pointers while holding Chemnitz to just 23.8 percent from long range. Deshaun Thomas was Bayern’s leading scorer with 22 points while Vladimir Lucic scored 17 points and Nick Weiler-Babb had 13 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Chemnitz, who were still without the suspended Darion Atkins, were paced by Isiaha Mike with 20 points and Jonas Richter scored 13 points. Game 3 is Friday May 20 in Chemnitz.
Bayern finally beat Chemnitz, take 1-0 lead in series
FC Bayern Munich finally picked up their first victory this season over NINERS Chemnitz as they collected a 77-53 home win for a 1-0 lead in their first round playoffs series. After losing all three games against Chemnitz this season - twice in the league and once in the MagentaSport BBL German Cup - Bayern took control of the game with a 24-9 third quarter and were never challenged after that. Bayern committed 20 turnovers but dominated the rebounding 41-26 and held Chemnitz to just 36.7 percent shooting including 20.0 percent from long range. Deshaun Thomas scored 15 points to lead the way with Nick Weiler-Babb picking up 13 points and Andi Obst adding 10 points. No Chemnitz player scored in double figures with Nelson Weidemann and Mindaugas Susinskas both hitting for 9 points.
Chemnitz leader Atkins suspended for three games, fined
NINERS Chemnitz will have to start their playoffs series without one of their main leaders as Darion Atkins was suspended by the league for three games and fined. Atkins was sanctioned as he head-butted the chest of Bogdan Radosavljevic in the 5th minute of Chemnitz’s game against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim on May 7.
Berlin too much for Bamberg, take 2-0 lead after Game 2 home win
ALBA BERLIN grabbed a 2-0 lead in their first round series against Brose Bamberg as they picked up a comfortable 97-85 home victory in Game 2. Berlin gained control of the game in the second quarter and led 47-34 at the break before pushing the lead to 22 points early in the second half. Berlin shot 57.1 percent on two-pointers while hitting 15 three-pointers compared to eight for Bamberg. Jaleen Smith led the way with 18 points and 5 assists, Maodo Lo scored 16 points and Johannes Thiemann collected 13 points and 13 rebounds. Martinas Geben scored 21 points for Bamberg, who also had Chris Dowe score 20 points and Omar Prewitt chip in 14 points, 6 rebounds and 10 assists in the loss. Bamberg will host Game 3 on Thursday May 19.
Balanced Berlin roll to Game 1 home win over Bamberg
Two-time reigning champions ALBA BERLIN rolled to a 114-89 home victory over Brose Bamberg to take a 1-0 lead in their playoffs series. The top-seeded Berlin pulled away in the second quarter to lead 61-45 at the break and never looked back. Berlin controlled the boards 42-29 while also taking the fast break points 16-2. Johannes Thiemann paced six Berlin players in double figures with 19 points with Jaleen Smith scoring 16 points, Oscar da Silva picking up 15 points and Maodo Lo tallying 12 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Omar Prewitt was Bamberg’s leading scorer with 17 points and Chris Dowe had 14 points.
Berlin finish season with road win over Bayern in Round 26 make-up
ALBA BERLIN collected their first victory over FC Bayern Munich this season as they won on the road 83-78 in a Round 26 make-up game. The contest had no impact on the standings as Berlin were already locked in as the top seed and Bayern would finish the season third. But it was a match-up of the Finals opponents in three of the last four seasons - and was the fourth match-up between the teams after a Bayern win in Berlin in the league and two Munich victories in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Berlin ended the regular season with a 27-6 record - and an 11-game winning streak - while Bayern were 25-9. Bayern head coach Andrea Trinchieri gave the pre-game TV interview but left the arena shortly thereafter due to health reasons and was replaced by assistant Slaven Rivac. Berlin jumped ahead by 11 points in the first quarter but the game was back and forth the rest of the way with 16 lead changes and 10 ties. Bayern committed three straight turnovers and did not score in the final 108 seconds. Berlin dominated the glass 37-26, including 14 offensive rebounds which led to a 17-7 advantage in second-chance points. Jaleen Smith paced Berlin with 24 points on 5 three-pointers while Yovel Zoosman scored 17 points and Maodo Lo had 12 points. Andi Obst hit 5 three-pointers for 15 points for Bayern and Leon Radosevic had 14 points in the loss.
Radebaugh shines as Ludwigsburg beat Heidelberg, lock up home court advantage
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg locked up home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as they got 30 points from Jonah Radebaugh in a 98-83 Round 24 make-up game win over MLP Academics Heidelberg in the final game in the regular season. Ludwigsburg trailed after 10 minutes but opened a 14-point lead in the second quarter and pulled away in the second half for good for a 23-11 record and Heidelberg finished at 11-23 in 15th place. Ludwigsburg committed only 10 turnovers and made 13 three-pointers to 6 for the guests. Radebaugh also collected 7 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while James Woodard scored 18 points and Tremmell Darden had 13 points. Max Ugrai paced Heidelberg with 22 points and Kyan Anderson, Kelvin Martin and Robert Lowery all scored 11 points.
Moors will stay two more years with Göttingen
BG Göttingen failed to reach the playoffs but were pleased enough with the work of head coach Roel Moors to keep the Belgian playcaller on for two more seasons. Göttingen lost their last six games of the season to finish with a 16-18 record - just two games from the final playoffs spot. Moors’s assistant coach Olivier Foucart will also stay for two more seasons.
Hartwich leaves Göttingen to join Würzburg Filip and Philipp big man duo
s.Oliver Würzburg should get ready for the “Filip and Philipp Show” as Philipp Hartwich has left BG Göttingen and signed a two-year contract with Würzburg to join fellow German big man Filip Stanic. Hartwich has led the league in blocks the last two seasons with 1.7 blocks in 2020-21 and 1.3 swats last season. Stanic will be returning as he declined a number of other others but refused to use his opt-out option.
Freyer, Oldenburg part ways, new coach to be named soon
EWE Baskets Oldenburg will search for a new coach as they decided to not offer Ingo Freyer a new contract for next season. Freyer took over as Oldenburg coach in January and helped the team finally start winning games and avoid relegation. Oldenburg said a new coach will be named soon.
Rostock reach ProA finals, reach easyCredit BBL for first time
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES have secured their first-ever spot in the easyCredit BBL as the team defeated Metropolis SC Jena 3-1 in the best-of-five ProA semi-finals playoffs to reach the finals, where Rostock are facing the regular season champions Tigers Tübingen.
Player(s) of the Week(s)
Two Player of the Week awards to hand out after two sets of playoffs games and Game 1’s top player was easily Jaron Blossomgame, who made history for ratiopharm ulm against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Blossomgame scored 41 points on 11-of-19 shots and 16-of-17 free throws to go with 16 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and 1 block for an efficiency of 50 - the highest recorded since the start of data collection in 1998. For Game 2, Parker Jackson-Cartwright is the winner as the MVP had an efficiency of 33 thanks to scoring 41 points on 14-of-26 shots and 5-of-7 free throws while also picking up 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal for Telekom Baskets Bonn against Hamburg Towers.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Maodo Lo, ALBA BERLIN
Lo was outstanding as he helped the team to three wins. He collected 12 points, 1 rebound and 2 assists in Berlin’s Round 26 make-up game against FC Bayern Munich. Lo then tallied 12 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists in Game 1 of the playoffs against Brose Bamberg. And he finished the week with 16 points, 1 rebound and 1 assist in Game 2.
G: Andi Obst, FC Bayern Munich
Obst poured in 15 points on 5 three-pointers to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in Bayern’s loss to ALBA BERLIN in a Round 26 make-up game. Obst had 10 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists in Game 1 of the playoffs against NINERS Chemnitz and then scored 5 points with 2 rebounds in just 9 minutes of Game 2.
F: Karim Jallow, ratiopharm ulm
Jallow scored 12 points with 1 rebound for Ulm in Game 1 against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and added 3 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in Game 2.
F: Max Ugrai, MLP Academics Heidelberg
Ugrai finished the season in strong form with 22 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg in a Round 24 make-up game.
C: Johannes Thiemann, ALBA BERLIN
Sure, there are two Berlin players, but both deserve a spot, especially Thiemann, who scored 19 points with 5 rebounds and 3 assists in Game 1 against Brose Bamberg. Thiemann and then collected 13 points, 13 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals in Game 2.
Young Guns
Malte Delow, SF, 21 ALBA BERLIN
Delow scored 11 points - hitting all three of his three-point attempts - to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in Game 1 of the playoffs against Brose Bamberg. He had 10 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block in Game 2. In the final regular season game, Delow went scoreless with one missed three-point attempt, 1 rebound and 1 steal in 9:20 minutes against FC Bayern Munich.
Justus Hollatz, 21, PG, Hamburg Towers
Hollatz could not keep Hamburg from losing twice to Telekom Baskets Bonn despite him scoring 11 points with 3 rebounds and 8 assists in Game 1 and picking up 6 points, 5 assists and 2 steals in Game 2.
Jason George, SG, 20, FC Bayern Munich
George tallied 6 points on 2-of-2 shooting (1/1 threes) and 1-of-2 free throws in 8:34 minutes of Game 1 versus NINERS Chemnitz. In Game 2, he had 4 points on 0-of-2 three-pointers and 4-of-4 free throws to go with 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block.
Former German star Ademola Okulaja dies at 46
The German basketball world was rocked by the news that former German national team player Ademola Okulaja died at age 46. Okulaja played 172 times for Germany, including winning the bronze medal at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2002. Okulaja also played in the German league for ALBA BERLIN, RheinEnergie Cologne and Brose Bamberg.
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