The first title of the 2022-23 season - the MagentaSport BBL German Cup - goes to … FC Bayern Munich after they first dethroned ALBA BERLIN and then knocked off Top Four hosts EWE Baskets Oldenburg for their fourth crown. Nick Weiler-Babb was named Most Valuable Player but the title was costly as Bayern have most likely lost Augustine Rubit for the rest of the season.
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:
Bayern overwhelm Oldenburg, win fourth German Cup title, Weiler-Babb MVP
FC Bayern Munich claimed their fourth MagentaSport BBL German Cup title in club history by overwhelming Top Four hosts EWE Baskets Oldenburg 90-78 with Nick Weiler-Babb winning the MVP award. Bayern never trailed, leading by double figures in the first quarter and it was down to three points late in the first half. A strong start to the second half pushed the lead to 17 and any time Oldenburg tried to get close Bayern would answer. Bayern added the Cup trophy to the ones from 1968, 2018 and 2021. Bayern’s defense held Oldenburg to 43.3 percent from the field while shooting 57.1 percent including 63.3 percent on two-pointers. Corey Walden came off the bench for 18 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Vladimir Lucic had 18 points with 5 three-pointers and fellow reserve Weiler-Babb chipped in 14 points. The starters combined for just 31 points. DeWayne Russell poured in 28 points with 5 assists for Oldenburg and Trey Drechsel collected 21 points and 8 rebounds.
Bayern fend off Berlin, dethrone champs - lose Rubit
FC Bayern Munich moved one step from their fourth title at the MagentaSport BBL German Cup as they dethroned ALBA BERLIN 83-77 to reach the final. The euphoria of reaching the title bout was overshadowed by Augustine Rubit going down with a serious foot injury, on which he was operated and could miss the rest of the season. Against Berlin, Bayern opened a 10-point lead in the second quarter but it was tight at halftime and Berlin led in the opening minutes of the second half. Bayern were ahead by 9 points after three quarters and the cushion was 11 early in the final frame and Bayern had an answer for every mini-ALBA run to set up a date with EWE Baskets Oldenburg in the final. Berlin committed 21 turnovers and only shot 44.0 percent on two-pointers. Cassius Winston was outstanding with 21 points and 4 assists while Nick Weiler-Babb had 14 points off the bench and Freddie Gillespie chipped in 7 points, 11 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Berlin had Jaleen Smith pour in 31 points but no one else scored in double figures.
Russell, defense shine, Oldenburg rally past Ludwigsburg into Cup final
EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s second half defense and DeWayne Russell shined as the 2015 champions beat MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 92-86 to reach the final of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup for a third time. Ludwigsburg took over the game in the second quarter and the lead extended to 16 points early in the second half. Oldenburg got the deficit down to one point late in the third quarter and grabbed the lead with 7 minutes left and never gave it up. Trey Drechsel scored 8 points in the final 150 seconds. Oldenburg shot 63.4 percent on two-pointers compared to 44.8 percent for Ludwigsburg, who were also out-scored in the paint 48-24. Russell could not be contained and he had 26 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists with Shakur Juiston collecting 14 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Drechsel finishing with 13 points and Alen Pjanic had 12 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Justin Johnson led Ludwigsburg with 19 points, Jhonathan Dun had 18 points and Yorman Polas Bartolo finished with 16 points.
Bayern dismantled by Hamburg in German Cup Final Four dress rehearsal
FC Bayern Munich had a nightmare dress rehearsal for the German Cup Final Four as they were dismantled at home 89-70 by Veolia Towers Hamburg. Bayern fell behind 35-19 after 10 minutes and never got back into the game in dropping their second game in the last three for a 14-6 record and Hamburg won their second straight to move to 8-13. Hamburg held Bayern to just 39.4 percent shooting including 28.6 percent from long range. The guests also had a 19-3 advantage in fast break points. James Woodard led Hamburg with 22 points and Lukas Meisner had 14 points and 9 rebounds in the win. Andi Obst was Bayern’s top scorer with 15 points and Nick Weiler-Babb had 12 points.
Smith free throw with 0.6 seconds left gives Göttingen thrilling win
Mark Smith made a free throw with 0.6 seconds left to give BG Göttingen a thrilling 87-86 victory in a back-and-forth battle at NINERS Chemnitz to stay alive in the fight for home court advantage in the playoffs. The biggest lead was seven points as the game featured 24 lead changes and 12 ties before Smith gave Göttingen the win. It was Göttingen’s third win in a row for a 13-7 record with Chemnitz now having lost four of five for a 10-9 mark. Göttingen shot just mildly better - 46.6 percent to 45.2 percent in getting the triumph. Rayshaun Hammonds led six Göttingen players in double figures with 16 points, Geno Crandall had 15 points and Smith finished with 15 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists. Nelson Weidemann paced Chemnitz with a season-high 19 points, Kevin Yebo had 18 points and 8 rebounds, Jonas Richter contributed 16 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists and Arnas Velicka chipped in 9 points and 12 assists in the loss.
Bamberg beat Ulm, near playoffs with third straight win
Brose Bamberg edged closer to the playoffs as they defeated ratiopharm ulm at home 97-77. Ulm came back from a 10-point first quarter deficit and led in the second quarter, but the hosts went on a 23-8 run spanning the final two periods. That gave Bamberg their third straight win and a 10-11 record with Ulm’s four-game winning streak snapped for a 10-10 mark. Ulm shot just 39.3 percent for the game including 35.5 percent from long range and also missed 11 free throws. Patrick Miller did it all for Bamburg with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists with Spencer Reaves scoring 17 points and Kevin Wohlrath chipping in 15 points. Yago dos Santos topped Ulm with 17 points, Juan Nunez totalled 12 points and 7 rebounds and Bruno Caboclo contributed 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Berlin march on to 12th straight win in warmup for German Cup
ALBA BERLIN just keep marching through the league as the reigning champions defeated HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 91-85 for their 12th straight win in their final warmup for the German Cup Top Four. Crailsheim led for most of the first half but Berlin never trailed in the second half and held Crailsheim to 2 points in the final 100 seconds and made their final five free throws. Berlin improved to 18-1 and Crailsheim dropped their fourth in a row for a 7-13 record. Berlin were unstoppable on the glass 38-21 and shot a blistering 71.9 percent on two-pointers and held the hosts to just 26.1 percent from long range. Yanni Wetzell continued his fine form with 19 points and 5 rebounds to lead Berlin with Jaleen Smith adding 17 points and 8 assists and Tim Schneider contributing 17 points. Arunas Mikalauskas and James Batemon both scored 18 points in a losing effort.
Bonn blast by Wolfpack, stay right on Berlin’s heels
Telekom Baskets Bonn were never challenged and eased to a 91-57 home victory over SYNTAINICS MBC. Bonn led 28-8 after 10 minutes and never let up on the gas for their fifth straight win and an 18-2 record and SYNTAINICS MBC saw their two game winning streak end for an 8-12 record. Bonn totally dominated, out-rebounding the guests 42-18 with a 52-18 advantage of points in the paint and the Wolfpack shot just 37.3 percent for the game and 25.0 percent from long range. Leon Kratzer paced Bonn with 16 points and 6 rebounds, Sebastian Herrera and Collin Malcolm both had 12 points and TJ Shorts chipped in 4 points, 2 rebounds and 11 assists. Radii Caisin and Mitchell Ballock came off the bench to lead the guests with 9 points as the starters combined for just 26 points.
Ludwigsburg spoil Childress return, extend win streak to three
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg extended their winning streak to three games with a 108-94 win at medi bayreuth to spoil the return of Brandon Childress. Ludwigsburg built a 17-point lead in the second and third quarters and watched as Bayreuth got within four points late in the third quarter. Ludwigsburg responded with an 8-0 run to reclaim control and a 12-7 record and Bayreuth lost their eighth straight for a 3-17 record. Ludwigsburg forced 20 Bayreuth turnovers and shot 70.6 percent on two-pointers. Prentiss Hubb paced five Ludwigsburg players in double figures with 24 points with Jhonathan Dunn picking up 21 points and 5 rebounds and Will Cherry adding 14 points and 6 assists. Bayreuth leader Childress poured in 24 points with 4 rebounds and 5 assists in his first game in a month and Ahmed Hill scored 19 points in the loss.
Oldenburg fend off Frankfurt in Cup rehearsal, stay in fourth place
EWE Baskets Oldenburg went into the German Cup Top Four at home in a good state after fending off FRAPORT SKYLINERS 87-79 to remain in fourth place. OIdenburg led nearly the entire game and were up 11 points early in the second half. Frankfurt tied the game early in the fourth quarter but Oldenburg’s defense remained strong for their third win in the last four games for a 13-7 record and Frankfurt lost their fourth straight for a 5-16 record. Oldenburg ruled the glass 37-25 including 14 offensive rebounds which resulted in an 18-7 advantage in second chance points. Dewayne Russell poured in 22 points with 6 assists for the winners, Trey Drechsel scored 16 points and Max DiLeo and Norris Agbakoko both added 10 points. Joshua Obiesie was outstanding for the guests with 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals off the bench and Laurynas Beliauskas scored 15 points.
Big Lewis double-double keeps Rostock’s playoffs dream alive
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES went into the national team break within striking distance of the playoffs spots as they grabbed a big 87-71 road victory over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Rostock took over in the second quarter, allowing just 11 points and ran away to snap a two-game losing skid for a 10-11 record and Braunschweig have lost three in a row for a 5-16 mark. Braunschweig just could not find the range on three-pointers, making just 23.3 percent for the game. JeQuan Lewis was a whirlwind for Rostock with 23 points, 4 rebounds and 10 assists with Selom Mawugbe chipping in 15 points and Derrick Alston adding 13 points. David Krämer carried Braunschweig with 22 points and 7 rebounds and Divine Myles had 16 points but they were not enough.
Carvacho, Whittaker double-doubles carry Würzburg past Heidelberg
Würzburg Baskets will spend the national team break among the playoff ranks as they defeated MLP Academics Heidelberg 90-71 for their third win in the last four games. The game was close for the first half until Würhzburg used a 14-2 run spanning the halftime to take control for an 11-10 record and Heidelberg fell to 7-14 with a fourth straight loss. Würzburg dominated the glass 39-24 including 14 offensive rebounds, which led to a 24-9 advantage in second chance points. Nicolas Carvacho was just unstoppable off the Würzburg bench with 24 points on 11-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds. Cameron Hunt added 21 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists and 5 steals and Stanley Whittaker contributed 13 points and 11 assists. Vincent Kesteloot was Heidelberg’s top scorer with 17 points, Bennet Hundt gathered 10 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists and Lukas Herzog scored 10 points in a losing effort.
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week award for Round 21 belongs to JeQuan Lewis of ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES as he had an efficiency of 35 in scoring 23 points on 7-of-8 shooting and 5-of-5 free throws to go with 4 rebounds, 10 assists and 1 steal against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Joshua Obiesie, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Obiesie was outstanding against EWE Baskets Oldenburg but his 24 points, 5 rebounds and 3 steals were not enough.
G: Andi Obst, FC Bayern Munich
Obst played well in Bayern’s loss to Veolia Tower Hamburg with 15 points on 3 three-pointers, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal. In the German Cup Semi-Finals, the sharpshooter had 11 points with 3 three-pointers, 1 rebound, 2 assists and 2 steals. And in the Final, Obst collected 5 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal.
G: David Krämer, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Krämer scored 22 points with 4 three-pointers and added 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal against ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES.
F: Lukas Meisner, SF, Veolia Towers Hamburg
Meisner played a major role in Hamburg’s win over FC Bayern Munich with 13 points, 9 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
C: Leon Kratzer, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Kratzer was a handful for SYNTAINICS MBC as he collected 16 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block.
Young Guns
Zach Ensminger, 21, PG, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Ensminger has not gotten much playing time but when he does play he uses the chance. He scored 7 points on 3-of-5 shots (1/3 threes) and had 1 rebound and 1 steal in 15:51 minutes against SYNTAINICS MBC.
Luc van Slooten, 20, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
Van Slooten started against ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES and scored 5 points on 2-of-9 shots (1/4 threes) and had 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.
Radii Caisin, 21, SG, SYNTAINICS MBC
Caisin led the team in scoring with 9 points, hitting 4-of-5 shots (1/2 threes) and added 1 assist and 2 steals in 10:00 minutes against Telekom Baskets Bonn.
Germans Abroad
Ferdinand Zylka continues to have a great first season outside of Germany as the former ALBA BERLIN talent collected 25 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steal against Aalst in the Belgian/Netherlands BNXT League. Zylka has now scored 20 or more points in four of his last five games and is averaging 19.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.3 steals. He also collected 23 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists in a 114-110 triple-overtime win over Mons.
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90:78: München gewinnt souverän den Pokal / Nick Weiler-Babb MVP des TOP FOUR / Oldenburger feiern ihr Team
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83:77 gegen ALBA: Der FC Bayern folgt Oldenburg ins Finale / Smith-Gala ohne Lohn
Nachberichte
