– David Hein
The big story of the week is EuroCup finalist ALBA BERLIN getting revenge for their loss in the German Cup final against Basketball Champions League quar-ter-finalist Brose Bamberg in a defensive slugfest. FC Bayern Munich mean-while became the first team to book their ticket to the playoffs and FRAPORT SKYLINERS saw the return to the court of 21-year-old talent Niklas Kiel.
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:
Berlin get revenge over cup final loss with win at Bamberg
ALBA BERLIN got revenge for the loss to Brose Bamberg in the German Cup final by winning 69-66 on the road. Bamberg led by 12 points in the first quarter but Berlin was ahead in the second quarter and the game was close the rest of the way with Martin Hermannsson scoring a big layup with 30 seconds left to make it 68-64. After Hermannsson split two free throws with 11 seconds to play, Tyrese Rice could not score with 4 seconds left to give Berlin the win. Berlin grabbed 17 offensive rebounds and forced 16 Bamberg turnovers in picking up their sixth win in the last seven games to move to 17-5. Landry Nnoko was big with 12 points and 14 rebounds and Peyton Siva tallied 9 points 5 assists and 5 steals in the win. The big-man match-up was tantalizing with Cliff Alexander picking up 15 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block while Ricky Hickman scored 12 points for Bamberg, who had their eight-game winning streak snapped to drop to 18-6.
Bayern first team to qualify for playoffs with win over Ludwigsburg
FC Bayern Munich became the first team to qualify for the playoffs by winning 92-74 at home over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Bayern led by just one point early in the third quarter but pulled away and were up by 13 points after 30 minutes to cruise to their third straight win for a 23-2 record. Danilo Barthel had 18 points and 5 rebounds off the bench, Derrick Williams grabbed 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists and Nihad Djedovic scored 14 points with 4 three-pointers for Bayern, who turned the ball over 19 times but shot 58 percent for the game and held Ludwigsburg to just 39 percent. Marcos Knight collected 17 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals for Ludwigsburg, who have dropped three of their last four games for a 12-13 record in 10th place.
Massenat scores season-high 40 points as Oldenburg extend winning streak to seven
EWE Baskets Oldenburg extended their winning streak to seven games by knocking off BG Göttingen 96-79 on the road thanks to Frantz Massenat scoring an easyCredit BBL season-high 40 points. Göttingen led by 10 points in the second quarter but Oldenburg ran off a 31-15 second quarter and led by 8 points and were never threatened in the second half. In addition to Massenat’s 40 points, Rickey Paulding scored 16 points as Oldenburg improved to 20-4 in second place. Michael Stockton had 25 points, 3 rebounds and 8 assists and Darius Carter scored 14 points for Göttingen, who have dropped seven straight in falling to 7-18 in 14th place.
Vechta roll past Frankfurt for ninth straight road
RASTA Vechta used a big third quarter to pull away for a strong 100-80 victory at FRAPORT SKYLINERS - the promoted team’s ninth straight road win. Vechta blew the game open with a 33-23 third quarter, including a 13-0 run thanks to 11 steals in the game. Clint Chapman led the way with 28 points and 5 rebounds, Austin Hollins scored 24 points and TJ Bray added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 9 assists as Vechta hit 60 percent from the field, including 48 percent from long range in winning their fourth game in the last five for a 19-7 record in third place. Jason Clark paced Frankfurt with 27 points and 5 assists and Quantez Robertson had 17 points, 7 rebounds and 3 steals, but no other player was in double figures as Frankfurt shot 42 percent from the field and turned it over 18 times. Frankfurt are 10-14 in 13th place, 2.5 games from a playoff spot with four teams between them and eighth-placed s.Oliver Würzburg.
Frankfurt talent Kiel returns to the court for first time since May 2018
FRAPORT SKYLINERS’ home loss to RASTA Vechta did have a silver lining as Niklas Kiel played his first game for Frankfurt since May 17, 2018. The 21-year-old power forward talent was on the court for 12:41 minutes, missing his two field goal attempts but he grabbed 2 rebounds with 1 steal, 1 turnover and 2 personal fouls. “He was like a kid in the candy shop for the first time,” Frankfurt coach Gordie Herbert said of returnee. Kiel came back from a third concussion he suffered in July, when he lost his balance and tumbled down the staircase in his apartment building as he decided to take the stairs instead of the elevator. The first concussion came in September 2017. After sitting out two months, Kiel suffered a second concussion in his third game back on the court.
Two women refs for the first time in a Bundesliga game
The FRAPORT SKYLINERS vs RASTA Vechta game also saw history as it was the first easyCredit BBL contest to be officiated by two women. Anne Panther and Danjana Rey were joined in the refereeing team by Steve Bittner.
Look who’s back ???????????? pic.twitter.com/xc7DaMN4ot
— FRAPORT SKYLINERS (@skyliners1999) March 29, 2019
Ulm prevail at home over Braunschweig in big battle for playoffs
ratiopharlm ulm picked up a big victory in the battle for the playoffs by winning 93-84 at home over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Ulm trailed by nine points in the second quarter but had a big third quarter and were up by 12 points late in the period before not allowing Braunschweig closer than 6 points in the final frame. Ulm shot just 22 percent from three-point range but forced 23 Braunschweig turnovers for their second straight win to move to 13-11 in seventh place. Patrick Miller led the way with 23 points, 3 rebounds, 12 assists and 3 steals, Ryan Thompson had 19 points, Dwayne Evans collected 15 points and 12 rebounds and Javonte Green 7 points and 6 steals in the win. Braunschweig, who were without head coach Frank Menz, saw Scott Eatherton pick up 22 points 10 rebounds and DeAndre Lansdowne had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists, but a second straight loss has them at 12-13 in ninth place.
Turner wild three gives Crailsheim thrilling win at Giessen
Frank Turner nailed a wild three-pointer at the buzzer to give HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim a thrilling 115-114 victory at GIESSEN 46ers in a game that could have played a major role in the fate of both teams’ seasons. Crailsheim lost a 10 point third quarter lead and trailed by 10 points with 1:48 minutes left. Two three-pointers got Crailsheim without one point and Turner’s layup made it 113-112 with 4 seconds left. And after Jared Jordan split two free throws with 3.5 seconds remaining, Turner raced down the court and threw up a fall-away three-pointer and it went in for the Crailsheim win. Turner had 25 points and 6 assists, Ben Madgen picked up 20 points and 6 rebounds and Philipp Neumann collected 18 points and 8 rebounds in the victory. Crailsheim grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and hit 16-of-35 (46 percent) three-pointers as they won their second straight and fourth in the last six to move to 7-18 - two wins ahead of the two teams in the relegation zone. John Bryant tallied 30 points, 11 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 1 block, Brandon Thomas had 27 points and 4 steals and Jared Jordan chipped in 16 points and 12 assists for Giessen, who have now lost five straight to fall to 11-15 in 12th place - two wins behind the playoff ranks.
Crailsheim add former NBA small forward Hollis Thompson
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim added some strong reinforcements for the final stretch in the fight against relegation by adding former NBA and EuroLeague small forward Hollis Thompson. The 27-year-old Thompson played 265 games in the NBA from 2013 to 2017. Last season he played for Olympiacos Piraeus in the EuroLeague.
Bremerhaven no longer in last place after beating Bayreuth
Eisbären Bremerhaven are no longer in last place as they defeated medi bayreuth 83-75 at home. Bayreuth led by 15 points in the first quarter but the hosts were down just four points at the break. Armani Moore scored a big basket with 20 seconds left for Bremerhaven and Elston Turner finished off the win with two free throws with 6 seconds to play. Turner scored 16 points, Chris Warren had 16 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists and Keith Benson added 15 points and 7 rebounds as Bremerhaven turned the ball over just nine times and shot 51 percent from the field in winning their second game in the last four to move to 5-21 for 17th place. Bayreuth got 19 points from Kassius Robertson but shot just 44 percent for the game in dropping their second straight in falling to 12-13 in 11th place.
Würzburg come back twice from 12 points down on road, Jena drop to last place
s.Oliver Würzburg came back from 12-point deficits twice in the second half to grab an 82-78 victory at Science City Jena, who dropped their seventh straight game to fall to last place. Jena led 60-48 near the end of the third quarter but watch Würzburg reel off a 14-0 run to take the lead. Jena responded with a 14-0 surge of their own - including 12 points from Julius Jenkins - and led 74-62 with 6 minutes left. But Jena scored just four points the rest of the way and Würzburg won thanks to Cameron Wells picking up 17 points and 3 assists and Xavier Cooks adding 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Würzburg, who held Jena to just 41 percent from the floor, have won three of the last four games to improve to 13-12 in eighth place. Jenkins scored 25 points with 6 three-pointers and added an easyCredit BBL season high 7 steals while Derrick Allen had 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists and Reggie Williams chipped in 14 points, 3 rebounds and 5 assists for the hosts. But it was not enough as Jena fell to cellar-dwellers at 5-21.
Bonn win at home over MBC for sixth straight victory
Telekom Baskets Bonn collected their sixth straight victory by winning at home 105-98 over Mitteldeutscher BC. Bonn lost a 13-point lead but pulled away with a 10-2 run in the fourth quarter. Bonn dished out 30 assists and shot 63 percent for the game, including 61 percent from long range to improve to 14-10 in sixth place. Josh Mayo scored 21 points with 5 three-pointers and 7 assists while TJ DiLeo had 17 points and 9 assists. MBC had won their last game but Sergio Kerusch’s 26 points and 6 rebounds and 21 points from Jovan Novak were not enough in falling to 5-20.
Player of the Week
Frantz Massent’s outstanding performance for EWE Baskets Oldenburg over BG Göttingen earned him Player of the Week honors as he collected 40 points on 12-of-17 shooting, including 7-of-11 three-pointers and 9-of-9 free throws, to go with 1 rebound, 3 assists and 2 steals for an efficiency of 39.
German Top Five of the Week
G: TJ DiLeo, Telekom Baskets Bonn
DiLeo has been one of the best German guards all season and he had another outstanding showing against Mitteldeutscher BC with 17 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists 1 steal 1 turnover in 29 minutes.
G: Dominic Lockhard, BG Göttingen
Okay 4 points might not look like much but Lockhart collected 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for Göttingen against EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
F: Sergio Kerusch, Mitteldeutscher BC
Kerusch scored a career high 26 points against Telekom Baskets Bonn off the bench with 4 three-pointers to go with 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals.
F: Danilo Barthel, FC Bayern Munich
Barthel gets back in the Top Five with a superb showing in 21 minutes off the bench, hitting all five of his shots and all seven of his free throws for a team-high 18 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.
C: Philipp Neumann, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Neumann had his most productive game of the season as he matched his season-high 18 points as he took a season-high 13 shots and was one rebound from a season-best with 8 rebounds and also picked up 1 steal and 3 blocks against GIESSEN 46ers.
Dagger! pic.twitter.com/Hb4RBe0oAc
— Telekom Baskets Bonn (@TelekomBaskets) March 31, 2019
Young Guns
Karim Jallow, 21, SG, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Jallow had extra motivation against FC Bayern Munich, facing the team that did not play him much last season and sent him on loan for 2018-19 to Ludwigsburg. And the 21-year-old tallied 10 points on 5-of-8 shooting, 4 rebounds, 1 assists and 1 steal in 23:54 minutes.
Marcel Keßen, 22, C, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Keßen had a productive 5:44 minutes against BG Göttingen with 2 points on 1-of-1 shooting, 1 rebound and 2 assists.
Haris Hujic, 21, PG, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Two players from Oldenburg on the list this week and the major note for Hujic is that he started an easyCredit BBL game for the first time in his career. He picked up 0 points, 1 assist and 2 steals in 7:17 minutes of his 30th career game.
Olinde Watch
There was not much scoring in Brose Bamberg’s 69-66 home loss against ALBA BERLIN but 21-year-old Louis Olinde was productive in his 12:20 minutes on the court with 3 points on 1-of-2 shooting, including 1-of-1 three-pointers, 5 rebounds, 1 assist and 0 turnovers.
LIVE auf https://t.co/mSBjqgoPgn: Der Mann kennt die Körbe im @AudiDome einfach: Karim #Jallow fliegt ein - und hat keinen Respekt vor seinem Heimatverein. Gut so! #ihrundwir #Season1819 pic.twitter.com/x4cxJYGbd6
— MHP RIESEN (@MHP_RIESEN) March 31, 2019
Germans Abroad
So let’s change it up a little this week as former German international Johannes Herber makes a trip abroad - back to the United States, where he played college basketball. He documented his travels with his video - sorry for those who don’t understand German.
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