– David Hein
It took a Herculean effort by Rickey Paulding and EWE Baskets Oldenburg, but HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim have finally been beaten - in overtime no-less. Still perfect on the season meanwhile are ALBA BERLIN, who turned things up a notch late to race past ratiopharm ulm. And personnel wise, SYNTAINICS MBC have seen one player return while their coach has called for a personal time-out.
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:
Oldenburg needs outstanding Paulding, OT to hand Crailsheim first loss
EWE Baskets Oldenburg did what no other team could thus far this season, but they needed an absolutely outstanding Rickey Paulding and overtime to hand HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim their first loss of the season - 98-93 in Crailsheim. Crailsheim led by 13 points in the second quarter but the game was close down the stretch with neither team able to score in the final 1:30 minutes of regulation. Paulding, who played all 45:00 minutes of the game, nailed a big four-point play in the extra session as well as two free throws along with two foul shots from Braydon Hobbs in the final 25 seconds for the win, which moved Oldenburg to 4-2. Crailsheim saw their five-game winning streak end in falling to 5-1. Oldenburg won the rebound battle 49 to 27 including 18 rebounds and connected on 27-of-28 free throws to offset 20 turnovers and hitting just 29.2 percent on three-pointers. Crailsheim hit 48.1 percent on threes in the loss. In playing the full game, Paulding collected 32 points with 4 three-pointers, 4 rebounds and 2 steals while Nathan Boothe had 21 points and 11 rebounds and Rasid Mahalbasic tallied 14 points, 14 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal and 2 blocks. DeWayne Russell was Crailsheim’s main weapon with 23 points and 12 assists with Aaron Jones scoring 22 points, Jeremy Morgan adding 12 points and Jan Span chipping in 11 points, 2 rebounds and 6 assists.
Oldenburg add ex-Frankfurt guard Tyler Larson
EWE Baskets Oldenburg added reinforcements for their backcourt as they signed former FRAPORT SKYLINERS guard Tyler Larson. The 27-year-old combo guard comes to Oldenburg from French side Boulazac.
Berlin race past Ulm in fourth at home
ALBA BERLIN remained perfect in the easyCredit BBL by racing past ratiopharm ulm in the fourth quarter for a 109-89 home win. The game was close through the first three quarters and Ulm were leading by nine points in the third quarter. But Berlin out-scored Ulm 35-14 in the final frame to move to 5-0 while Ulm have dropped four straight for a 1-4 mark. Berlin shot 58.1 percent for the game including 55.6 percent on threes with 24 assists and also hit 22-of-24 free throws to 10-of-12 for Ulm, who lost the rebound battle 34-24 though they did hit 51.6 percent from the field and dished out 25 assists. Six Berlin players scored in double figures, paced by Martin Hermannsson’s 22 points, 4 assists and 2 steals. Rokas Giedraitis had 16 points, Jonas Mattisseck scored 13 points, Luke Sikma added 13 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists and Peyton Siva picked up 11 points, 4 rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals in the win. Andreas Obst was Ulm’s leading scorer with 17 points while Derek Willis had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block and 18-year-old talent Killian Hayes added 11 points, 4 rebounds and 11 assists - but 8 turnovers as well.
Würzburg pull away late to home win over MBC
s.Oliver Würzburg used a late run to pull away from SYNTAINICS MBC and pick up a 91-79 home victory. Würzburg’s 17-point lead from late in the second quarter was down to four points with three minutes to play but the home side put together an 8-0 spurt to grab the win and move to 3-3. MBC have now lost four straight in falling to 1-5. Jordan Hulls collected 21 points and 3 assists for the winners while Cameron Wells had 16 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists and Luke Fischer added 6 points, 11 rebounds and 4 blocks. Würzburg shot 52.3 percent for the game and turned the ball over only seven times while holding MBC to just 44.6 percent shooting including 31.3 percent on threes. MBC, who were without their head coach Wojciech Kaminski, were paced by Strahinja Micovic with 26 points and 9 rebounds while Michael Gbinije had 14 points and Jovan Novak chipped in 9 points, 4 rebounds and 9 assists.
MBC head coach Kaminski takes break
SYNTAINICS MBC will be without their head coach indefinitely as Wojciech Kaminski has asked for and received a break from the team with his assistant Aleksandar Scepanovic taking over the club. The 45-year-old Polish coach apparently is suffering from a case of burnout and it’s unclear when he will be able to return to his post with the team, which confirmed he has not been fired. MBC hope that Kaminski can use the break to regain his energy and come back to the team re-focused.
Brembly moves back to MBC from Ludwigsburg
David Brembly’s stay with MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg was short as the German left the club and returned to SYNTAINICS MBC on a deal until the end of the season. The 26-year-old Brembly, who picked up 5 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist in his first game with MBC, played five games with Ludwigsburg.
Bayreuth win in Frankfurt for first victory of season
medi bayreuth’s wait for their first victory of the season is over as they grabbed an 88-74 win at FRAPORT SKYLINERS. Bayreuth dominated the game and led by 27 points in the third quarter, which was just too big of a deficit despite Frankfurt taking the final frame 22-11 to make the final result more respectable. Bayreuth improved to 1-4 while Frankfurt saw their two-game winning streak snapped in falling to 2-4. Bayreuth shot 51.7 percent from the field and 90 percent from the free throw line while Frankfurt made just 64.0 percent of their free throws and connected on just 39.7 percent from the field, including 28.6 percent on threes. James Woodard tallied 26 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists for Bayreuth, Evan Bruinsma had 14 points, 8 rebounds and 2 assists and Nate Linhart added 13 points, 3 rebounds and 4 assists. Frankfurt were led by Lamont Jones with 20 points, 2 rebounds and 3 assists with Quantez Robertson collecting 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists - reaching the 1,000 assist mark in his career - and Leon Kratzer pitched in 8 points, 13 rebounds and 1 block.
Late run hands Vechta home win over Bonn, third straight victory
RASTA Vechta have won their last three games as they used a late surge to down Telekom Baskets Bonn 95-83 at home. The game was close throughout until Vechta went on an 11-0 run in the final minute to move to 3-3. Bonn have dropped three straight games for a 1-3 mark. Vechta shot 50.7 percent for the game including a solid 41.2 percent on threes with 27 assists while forcing 19 Bonn turnovers and holding the guests to just 8 three-pointers. Trevis Simpson paced the winners with 23 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, Ishmail Wainwright had 17 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals and Steve Vasturia added 14 points, 6 assists and 3 steals. Benjamin Simons came off the Bonn bench for 15 points and Martin Breunig had 12 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists.
Braunschweig too much for Giessen late
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig were too much in the closing stages for JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers in grabbing a 92-86 home victory. The game was close until the fourth when the hosts went on a 13-3 surge to grab an 88-74 lead with 3 minutes left in improving to 4-1 while Giessen are 1-4. Braunschweig hit 56.9 percent of their two-point shots but only 23.8 percent on threes. And the hosts won the rebound battle 48 to 25 including 18 offensive boards and held Giessen to 44.4 percent shooting and 31.0 percent on threes. Scott Eatherton picked up 19 points, 15 rebounds, 2 assists, 4 steals and 1 block for Braunschweig with Karim Jallow collecting 16 points and 9 rebounds and Joe Lawson scoring 15 points. Stephen Brown had 20 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists for Giessen, who also saw Jordan Barnett tally 18 points and 3 blocks and Brandon Thomas score 15 points.
Ludwigsburg fend off Hamburg to remain perfect at home
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg continued their strong run in the league in fending off Hamburg Towers 94-83 at home. Ludwigsburg led by 20 points in the second quarter and watched Hamburg get to within seven points with an 11-0 run in the fourth quarter. But the hosts held on for their third straight win to move to 5-1 - including a perfect 3-0 at home. Hamburg have lost three straight and fell to 1-5. Marcos Knight came off the Ludwigsburg bench for 22 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals while fellow reserve Tanner Leissner tallied 21 points. Khadeen Carrington scored 20 points but Ludwigsburg’s other four starters totalled just 18 points. The home side nailed 13 three-pointers and turned it over just 11 times compared to 19 for Hamburg, who made 36.4 percent from long range. Beau Beech paced Hamburg with 19 points and 13 rebounds and Yannick Franke scored 18 points in the loss.
Bamberg keep Göttingen winless with home victory
Brose Bamberg collected their fourth straight win as they knocked off BG Göttingen 89-82 at home. Bamberg put together an 8-0 surge in the fourth quarter to decide the game and move to 5-1 while Göttingen are still looking for their first victory at 0-6. Bamberg shot a blistering 58.2 percent for the game including a white-hot 67.6 percent on twos to go with 25 assists - though they did turn it over 18 times. The hosts held Göttingen to 41.4 percent shooting including 29.4 percent on threes. Tre McLean came off the Bamberg bench for 19 points with Christian Sengfelder corralling 16 points and 5 rebounds and Assem Marei adding 10 points and 8 rebounds. Kyan Anderson totalled 19 points, 2 rebounds, 9 assists and 2 steals for Göttingen with Dylan Osetkowski scoring 11 points and Dominic Lockhart picking up 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
Player(s) of the Week
The magic number was 31 this week as two players reached that efficiency for co-Player of the Week winners. Rickey Paulding played all 45:00 minutes in EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s overtime win over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim and scored 32 points on 9-of-15 shots and 10-of-10 free throws to go with 4 rebounds and 2 steals. Strahinja Micovic also had an efficiency of 31 for SYNTAINICS MBC in their loss against s.Oliver Würzburg with 26 points on 11-of-14 shots and 2-of-2 free throws and 9 rebounds.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Dominic Lockhart, BG Göttingen
Usually, it has been Lockhart’s Göttingen teammate Bennet Hundt who has made this team but Hundt was held in check against Brose Bamberg while Lockhart had 10 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals.
LIVE-VIDEO: Never underestimate an old man with a basketball (and hops).#easyCreditBBL pic.twitter.com/XL7ZI5Os3X
— easyCredit BBL (@easyCreditBBL) November 2, 2019
G: Andreas Obst, ratiopharm ulm
Obst came off the Ulm bench and nailed 3 three-pointers in scoring a team-high 17 points against ALBA BERLIN to go with 1 assist and 1 steal.
F: Kaim Jallow, Basketball Löwen Braunschwieg
Jallow was outstanding for Braunschweig in their win over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers with 16 points and 9 rebounds.
F: Christian Sengfelder, Brose Bamberg
Sengfelder played a major role in Bamberg getting past BG Göttingen with 16 points, 5 rebounds and 1 assist.
C: Leon Kratzer, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Kratzer makes the team again despite his team losing to medi bayreuth as the big man picked up 8 points, 13 rebounds - 5 of them from the offensive glass - and 1 assist.
Young Guns
Bjarne Kraushaar, 20, PG, JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers
Kraushaar makes it back into the Young Guns section for his strong play against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig with 12 points, 1 rebound and 3 assists in 18:33 minutes.
Justus Hollatz, 18, PG, Hamburg Towers
Hollatz also returns to the team this week as the 18-year-old started against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and played 32:48 minutes. Even though he went scoreless - missing his four field goal attempts - Hollatz collected 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 5 steals and just 2 turnovers.
Philipp Herkenhoff, 20, PF, RASTA Vechta
Herkenhoff played a solid role in Vechta’s win over Telekom Baskets Bonn with 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block in 18:34 minutes.
???????????? @Fruit_96 trifft mitten ins Schwarze ???????????? #uuulmer #weareone #easyCreditBBL
— ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) November 3, 2019
???? Das Spiel seht ihr LIVE unter https://t.co/mNGxaIBM43 pic.twitter.com/KDo0BhmUwx
Mattisseck Check
Every season, the Weekly News features one young German player and follows their progress over the season. This season we have decided to keep track of ALBA BERLIN’s 19-year-old Jonas Mattisseck. The point guard played his sixth game of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague during the week and went scoreless for the first time this season, despite playing 21:13 minutes against Real Madrid. He did pick up 1 offensive rebound while turning it over 1 time. Mattisseck made up for his struggles in the easyCredit BBL with 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting, including 3-of-5 from long range, and 2-of-2 free throws in 23:35 minutes off the bench against ratiopharm ulm. He also had 1 rebound, 2 assists and just 1 turnover. His 13 points were a career high in the easyCredit BBL though he did score 15 points against FC Bayern Munich last season in the MagentaSport BBL Pokal German Cup.
LIVE-VIDEO: Eigentlich geht man, wenn man so dermaßen rotzfrech ist, ohne Abendessen ins Bett. Jonas Mattisseck geht mit Applaus vom Parkett – @albaberlin liegt inzwischen 90:79 gegen @ratiopharmulm vorne. #easyCreditBBL pic.twitter.com/x7g4w21J0w
— easyCredit BBL (@easyCreditBBL) November 3, 2019
Germans Abroad
Maxi Kleber has started off the NBA season in solid fashion, putting together back-to-back games with 14 points against Portland and Denver after having picked up 8 points and 10 rebounds against New Orleans.
