Round 31 of the easyCredit BBL featured four teams that continued their winning ways. Science City Jena took a huge step toward avoiding relegation. Meanwhile, the battle for postseason positioning has intensified.
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 (Taking The Charge) brings you up-to-date in German basketball – the easyCredit BBL short and sweet:
Munich cruises, all but locks up first place
FC Bayern Basketball secured consecutive wins number four and five, putting them in a strong position to clinch first place in the league in their upcoming game against ALBA Berlin. On Thursday, the defending champs won 90-81 at Fitness First Würzburg Baskets in a round 26 make-up game. On Monday, Svetislav Pesic's side dismantled ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES at home, winning 86-64 and handing the Wolves their fifth loss in a row. In Würzburg, Oscar Da Silva (19 points, 7 rebounds), Andreas Obst (17 points, 9/9 free throws) and Neno Dimitrijevic (16 points, 9 assists) proved instrumental, while Johannes Voigtmann stood out against Rostock by putting up season highs of 13 points and 11 rebounds. FCBB moved to 25-5 with the win at SAP Garden, two wins clear of Berlin with one less game played.
ALBA grabs two more wins to stay the course
ALBA Berlin picked up a pair of away wins to stay clear of Bamberg in the battle for second place, first taking down ratiopharm ulm 89-77 on Wednesday in a preponed round 33 clash, before dismantling SKYLINERS on Sunday, 87-61. In Ulm, ALBA stifled the hosts' attack for ten minutes and took a commanding 23-5 lead after one quarter. Jack Kayil led the way with 17 points in only 18 minutes of action, repeatedly putting pressure on the defense and sinking all 8 of his free throw attempts. In Frankfurt, it was a monster second half that turned a two-point halftime deficit into a blowout win for Pedro Calles' troops, who outscored SKYLINERS 54-26 after the break. Once again Kayil, with another 17 points to go along with 6 assists and 2 steals, as well as seven more ALBA players with at least 7 points, made the difference in this one.
Wieskamp powers Jena to massive win in relegation battle
Science City Jena defeated the VET-CONCEPT Gladiators Trier 102–94 and took a huge step toward avoiding relegation. Jena (11-20) ended its five-game losing streak and now holds a three-win cushion over the relegation spots with three games remaining. Joe Wieskamp put up a huge double-double of 29 points and 10 rebounds and carried his team with 13 in the fourth quarter. The game was close early, but Mike Taylor's team gained control in the third stanza thanks to its fast-paced offense and strong individual performances that saw five players score in double figures. Keith Braxton and Jack Pagenkopf both contributed 18 points apiece in the win, while Jordan Roland led Trier with 19 points. The Gladiators (16-15) suffered their third straight loss, hurting their chances in the race for the Play-In spots.
Five in a row for Vechta, who set new BBL scoring records
RASTA Vechta delivered a record-breaking performance against the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig in their 120–98 home win on Friday. Vechta set historic marks with 44 points in a single quarter and 75 points in the first half — both unprecedented in the history of the league. The game was effectively decided before halftime. Alonzo Verge was the man of the game with 29 points on 11 of 16 shooting, 5 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals. Four more players on Christian Held's squad scored at least 15 points apiece. Braunschweig, who were led by Ferdinand Zylka's 22 points, showed effort in the second half, but lost big and remain in a difficult spot at the bottom of the standings with only three games to go. Meanwhile, Vechta’s ninth win in their last ten games keeps their playoff hopes alive.
Bamberg punishes Chemnitz' sloppiness, secures home-court
BMA365 Bamberg Baskets took advantage of 25 turnovers by NINERS Chemnitz to win 89-62 and secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. After a long delay caused by a scoreboard malfunction, Chemnitz briefly led after one, but Bamberg closed the gap before halftime and went on a 13–0 run after the break, courtesy of Cobe Williams, one of eight players who scored eight points or more for Anton Gavel's side. Austin Crowley, Demarcus Demonia and Ejiofor Onu all contributed a game-high 12 points for the visitors. Chemnitz struggled with ball control all night, allowing Bamberg to extend their lead and win comfortably. NINERS (14-17) barely hold on to a Play-In spot for now, but have four teams breathing down their neck.
Oldenburg blows out Heidelberg, keeps Play-In hopes alive
EWE Baskets Oldenburg kept their Play-In hopes alive with a dominant 94–74 win over MLP Academics Heidelberg, whose relegation worries are increasing. Heidelberg now trail Jena by three wins with only three games remaining, making survival increasingly unlikely. Oldenburg took control early, led by Chris Clemons, who hit his first four three-pointers en route to a game-high 23 points on 7 of 8 shooting. The Thunderbirds built a big first-quarter lead and maintained a comfortable advantage throughout thanks to strong defense and a balanced attack that saw five players reach double figures. Eric Reed II and Marcel Kessen led Heidelberg with 17 apiece but couldn't avoid the loss. Heidelberg (8-23) must win all remaining games and rely on other results to avoid relegation, while Oldenburg now sits at 14-17, firmly in the mix for postseason spots.
Ulm shake loss to ALBA, checkmate Towers
After a preponed round 33 loss to ALBA Berlin on Wednesday, ratiopharm Ulm recovered with an 81–72 win over the Veolia Towers Hamburg and strengthened their push for a direct playoff spot. Ulm started strong with a 10–0 run, but Hamburg fought back and kept the game competitive. The visitors cut the deficit to five after halftime (51-46), before Ulm responded with 10-2 run to retake control. Ulm’s depth made the difference in this one, with ten players seeing at least 12 minutes of action and seven scoring 8 points or more for Ty Harrelson's side. Joel Soriano paced Ulm with 13 points and 8 boards, while Hamburg’s Devon Daniels IV led all scorers with 32 points despite the loss. In the end, Ulm’s balanced team play secured the victory and kept them firmly in contention for a top-six finish.
Towers take down SEAWOLVES in Northern clash
The Veolia Towers Hamburg secured a crucial 91–86 overtime win against the ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES in a round 13 make-up game, effectively guaranteeing their spot in the league as well as boosting their Play-In hopes. Despite the Wolves dominating on the boards and grabbing 29 offensive rebounds, they managed to shoot only 33.7% from the field (31/92) en route to their third straight loss. The game remained tight throughout, featuring 19 lead changes, and went into overtime after both teams missed late opportunities to secure the win in regulation. In the extra period, both teams made the same amount of field goals, but Hamburg kept its composure to knock down 6 of 8 free throws that proved decisive. Devon Daniels IV (22 points, 6 assists) and Leonard Thorpe (15 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists) led Hamburg, while TJ Crockett scored 25 points for Rostock.
Ludwigsburg keeps playoff hopes alive after home win
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg earned a hard-fought 75–61 win over the ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES, keeping their hopes for a direct playoff spot alive. Rostock started strong and led comfortable after the first quarter (26-19), before falling apart and managing only 35 points the rest of the way. Ludwigsburg's defense turned the game around and held Rostock to just eight points in the third period. TJ Crockett led Rostock with 24 points but lacked support, with the rest of his team going 1 of 19 from three. Meanwhile, Ludwigsburg’s guard duo of Terrell Harris (17 points, 3 assists) and Stef Smith (14 points, 4 assists) controlled the game. The loss marked Rostock’s fourth straight defeat, pushing them out of the Play-In spots.
MBC safe from relegation, add to Baskets' woes
SYNTAINICS MBC delivered a dominant 83–52 victory over Fitness First Würzburg Baskets, dealing a major blow to Würzburg’s playoff hopes. The game was one-sided from the start, with Weißenfels building a double-digit lead early and Sasa Filipovski's side only managing 19 points at the break. Würzburg struggled with energy and execution throughout, while MBC capitalized with consistent offense led by Khyri Thomas, who put up 22 points with 5 assists and 4 steals. Spencer Reaves added 17 points and Charles Callison contributed 15. The result ensures MBC’s safety from relegation, while Würzburg’s playoff positioning remains uncertain after their second loss in four days.
Player of the Week
With respect to Alonzo Verge of RASTA Vechta - The top honor for Round 31 goes to Jena's Joe Wieskamp, who led Science City to one of their biggest and most important wins of the season and all but avoid relegation. The big man scored 13 of his game-high 29 points in the fourth quarter and added 10 rebounds for a scorching 29 efficiency.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Jack Kayil, ALBA Berlin
The 20-year-old capped off a strong week and dazzled against Frankfurt with a game-high 17 points and 6 assists in only 19 minutes of action while steering ALBA to their fourth win in a row.
G: Ferdinand Zylka, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Zylka splashed 4 threes and made 9 of 13 shots overall en route to a team-high 22 points, but the Lions' relegation situation is looking dim.
F: Nicholas Tischler, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Oldenburg's 25-year old wingman scored 16 points in 22 minutes on 5 of 7 shooting to go along with 2 assists and 3 steals for an easy Thunderbird home win.
C: Marcel Kessen, MLP Academics Heidelberg
Kessen battled with 17 points on 7 of 10 shooting from the field, but couldn't avoid another Heidelberg loss that put them in a precarious position.
C: Johannes Voigtmann, FC Bayern Basketball
Voigtmann hasnt't played much recently, but reminded everyone what he's capable of by putting up season highs of 13 points and 11 rebounds for FCBB's fifth win in a row.
Young Guns
Jack Kayil, 20, PG, ALBA BERLIN
The 20-year-old capped off a strong week and dazzled against Frankfurt with a game-high 17 points and 6 assists in only 19 minutes of action while steering ALBA to their fourth win in a row.
Alec Anigbata, 21, SF, ratiopharm ulm
Ulm's young wing Alec Anigbata made two three-pointers on his way to 11 points and 2 steals, as his team prevailed at home against Hamburg.
Adrian Petkovic, 21, PG, BMA365 Bamberg Baskets
Petkovic saw 7:09 minutes of action during Bamberg's blowout win at Chemnitz and registered 2 points and 3 assists off the bench.
Germans Abroad
In the NBA Playoffs, Franz Wagner was clutch with back-to-back performances of 17 points in game 3 and 19 points in game 4 to help Orlando Magic take a commanding 3-1 series lead against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons. Isaiah Hartenstein put up a strong double-double (18 points, 12 rebounds) in game 4 as the reigning champions Oklahoma City Thunder swept their series with Phoenix, 4-0. Ariel Hukporti saw a few minutes of action during New York's blowout win at Atlanta that tied their first round series at two games apiece. Dennis Schröder had his most productive game during Cleveland's first round battle with Toronto so far (2-2), but couldn't avoid a second Cavaliers loss despite 8 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes off the bench. In the EuroLeague, big man Daniel Theis proved crucial in a decisive AS Monaco win against FC Barcelona for the eighth and final playoff spot by putting up a game-high 16 points on 7/10 shooting.
