– David Hein
FC Bayern Munich tipped off the defense of their easyCredit BBL crown by rolling past league debutants Hamburg Towers in league action. The week also saw Brose Bamberg start their quest for a MagentaSport BBL German Cup repeat with a road victory. And ratiopharm ulm beat RASTA Vechta at home in both competitions in a matter of days.
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 roll past debutants Hamburg in start of title defense
Reigning champions FC Bayern Munich did not tip off the defense of their easyCredit BBL title until after most of the first round of games and the MagentaSport BBL German Cup Round of 16 showdowns. But Bayern gave their fans plenty of reason to celebrate with a dominant 111-55 home win over first division debutants Hamburg Towers – with former bayern guard Heiko Schaffartzik. Munich led 23-7 after 10 minutes and never looked back. Five Bayern players scored in double figures, led by Nihad Djedovic with 20 points and 4 steals while Greg Monroe had 18 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and Paul Zipser added 17 points and 7 rebounds. Munich shot 56.9 percent for the game and won the battle of the glass, 44-31. They also forced 24 Hamburg turnovers and held them to 28.6 percent shooting with Bayern converting 37 of 44 free throws (84.1 percent). Former German national team captain Heiko Schaffartzik picked up 10 points and 4 assists and Marshawn Powell scored 10 points for Hamburg.
Berlin open season with home cup win over Würzburg
ALBA BERLIN opened their season in Germany with the Round of 16 of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup, and last year’s finalists beat s.Oliver Würzburg 92-81. It was a four-point thriller in the fourth quarter when Berlin went on a 13-0 surge to decide the game - with Niels Giffey converting a three-point play and Jonas Mattisseck draining a three-ball. Marcus Eriksson paced Berlin with 19 points while Giffey scored 17 points, Rokas Giedraitis had 16 points and Martin Hermannsson collected 9 points and 10 assists. Berlin shot 53.8 percent from the field while keeping Würzburg at 43.5 percent. Jordan Hulls led Würzburg with 18 points including 5 three-pointers off the bench and Cameron Wells scored 16 points.
Oldenburg knock off Würzburg at home
EWE Baskets Oldenburg picked up a strong home victory to start the easyCredit BBL season, fending off s.Oliver Würzburg 90-82. Oldenburg led by 10 points in the second quarter but were never able to pull away, getting the win down the stretch. Rasid Mahalbasic was close to a triple-double with 16 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists while Rickey Paulding and Nathan Boothe both scored 15 points, the latter hitting the dagger three-pointer with 46 seconds left. And Braydon Hobbs picked up 10 points, 6 rebounds, 8 assists for Oldenburg, who shot 50 percent from field including 11 three-pointers at a 40.7 percent clip. Würzburg did hit 60.0 percent on threes but just 45.5 percent from inside the stripe. Luke Fischer led the way with 16 points while Jordan Hulls and Spencer Bowlin both tallied 14 points.
Oldenburg beat Crailsheim at home in cup
EWE Baskets Oldenburg followed the win over s.Oliver Würzburg with an 86-75 victory over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim in the MagentaSport BBL German Cup. Oldenburg built a 14-point lead in the third quarter and never let Crailsheim back into it. The hosts hit 51.6 percent from the field and took the rebound battle 44-30, including 16 offensive rebounds while limiting Crailsheim to just 40.9 percent from the field. Rickey Paulding was top scorer for the hosts with 17 points with Braydon Hobbs and Robin Amaize scoring 12 points each and Rasid Mahalbasic just missing another triple-double with 11 points, 9 rebounds and 10 assists. Jan Span collected 21 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals off the bench for Crailsheim and Aaron Jones added 14 points.
Crailsheim upset Giessen on road to open season
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim opened the season with a big victory in their quest to remain in the top flight, beating JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 108-92 on the road. Crailsheim, who committed just six turnovers in the game, took control of the game with a big 35-18 third quarter. Six Crailsheim players were in the double figures, topped by DeWayne Russell with 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, while Javontae Hawkins had 18 points and Jan Span chipped in 11 points and 7 assists. Giessen turned the ball over 20 times and lost despite Teyvon Myers picking up 18 points and 6 assists, Jordan Barnett collecting 15 points and 8 rebounds and John Bryant adding 14 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench.
Bamberg start defense of cup title with win in Giessen
JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers had a poor start to the season with two home losses, the second being a 72-66 defeat in the opening round of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup against reigning champs Brose Bamberg. The game was tight throughout with nine points being the biggest lead for either team. Giessen failed to score in the final 2:52 minutes to decide the game. Assem Marei paced Bamberg with 17 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals while Tre McLean scored 16 points, Paris Lee had 9 points and 7 assists and Christian Sengfelder grabbed 10 rebounds, helping Bamberg out-rebound the hosts 42-24, including 13 offensive rebounds. Bamberg shot just 45.8 percent but held Giessen to just 42.1 percent. Stephen Brown was Giessen’s top scorer with 18 points while Alen Pjanic and Luke Petrasek had 10 points each and John Bryant added 6 points and 3 rebounds in 22 minutes.
Bamberg tip off season with Franconian derby win in Bayreuth
Brose Bamberg started their new era with new head coach Roel Moors by defeating medi bayreuth 88-75 in a showdown of Franconian teams. Bamberg built a 22-point lead early in the third quarter and that was enough as they shot 51.6 percent from the field with just 10 turnovers and a 39-24 rebounding advantage. Kameron Taylor scored 25 points, Elias Harris had 14 points, Louis Olinde and Christian Sengfelder both tallied 12 points and starting point guard Paris Lee went scoreless but added 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Assem Marei added 4 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists. Bryce Alford led Bayreuth with 22 points and Lukas Meisner scored 16 points.
MBC fend off Bayreth in cup first round
SYNTAINICS MBC made it a double-loss week for medi bayreuth by beating them 91-79 at home in the first round of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup. MBC pulled away in the second quarter and never were challenged. The hosts knocked down 54.2 percent off their shots and turned it over just 10 times while holding Bayreuth to 40.3 percent. Strahinja Micovic paced six MBC players in double figures with 14 points to go with 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 3 blocks, while Jovan Novak had 12 points and 5 assists and Andrew Warren and Kaza Kajami-Keane both chipped in 10 points and 6 assists. James Woodard scored 23 points for Bayreuth and Bryce Alford added 15 points in the defeat.
Ludwigsburg just get past MBC in season opener
The SYNTAINICS MBC victory came after they just lost their season opener to MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg, falling 89-87 at home. MBC opened a 14-point lead midway through the third quarter but Jaleen Smith hit a big shot with 16 seconds left and Nick Weiler-Babb converted two free throws with 5 seconds remaining for the win. Ludwigsburg, who turned the ball over just four times, were paced by Weiler-Babb with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 8 assists and 2 steals while Khadeen Carington had 18 points and 4 assists and Smith scored 17 points. Michael Gbinije scored 17 points for MBC, who had 15 turnovers; and Strahinja Micovic picked up 14 points.
Braunschweig fend off Ludwigsburg in cup first round
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig advanced to the quarter-finals of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup by knocking off MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 90-87 on the road. Ludwigsburg erased a 14-point Braunschweig lead and were up by nine points in the third quarter but Braunschweig proved more efficient in the fourth quarter. The guests shot 56.9 percent for the game including 48.3 percent from long range while keeping Ludwigsburg to 40.6 percent shooting. Scott Eatherton was outstanding for the winners with 26 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals while Trevor Releford scored 14 points and Thomas Klepeisz added 12 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists. Khadeen Carrington collected 26 points with 5 three-pointers to go with 2 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals for Ludwigsburg and Thomas Wimbush scored 16 points with 4 three-pointers. But Nick Weiler-Babb tallied just 3 points after scoring 24 in a win over SYNTAINICS MBC.
Braunschweig start season with convincing road win over Göttingen
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig tipped off their season with a strong performance, rolling past BG Göttingen 96-77 on the road. The guests took the third quarter 27-10 to gain control of the game. Six Braunschweig players scored in double figures, paced by Scott Eatherton’s 18 points while Karim Jallow scored 17 points and Thomas Klepeisz added 15 points and 7 assists. Braunschweig survived 22 turnovers thanks to a 37-27 rebound advantage and 58.2 percent shooting while Göttingen made just 37.7 percent of their shots. Terry Allen did have 20 points and 6 rebounds for Göttingen and Bennett Hundt scored a career high 18 points with 4 assists.
Göttingen upset Frankfurt on road in cup first round
BG Göttingen booked their ticket to the second round of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup by defeating FRAPORT SKYLINERS 79-74 on the road. After losing to Basketball Löwen Braunschweig to start the season, Göttingen won a battle with Frankfurt, with seven points being the biggest lead for either team. Skyliners were leading 74-73 with 37 seconds left before Göttingen made all six of their free throws - four by Bennett Hundt. Göttingen, who used an eight-man rotation, shot just 37.7 percent from the field but limited Frankfurt to 19.0 percent from long range. The guests were also able to compensate scoring just 14 points in the paint to 42 by Frankfurt. Mihaljo Andric led the winners with 21 points and Kyan Anderson scored 20 points while Hundt had 16 points with 5 assists. Lamont Jones paced Frankfurt with 28 points while Leon Kratzer scored 10 points and Quantez Robertson picked up 9 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Ulm start new era with big home win over Vechta
ratiopharm ulm started their new era with their new head coach Jaka Lakovic with a convincing 84-62 victory over RASTA Vechta in the season’s first game. Ulm put together a 13-0 run over seven minutes in the third quarter to decide the game, shooting 72 percent from inside the three-point line and surviving 22 turnovers. Zoran Dragic poured in 18 points while 18-year-old phenom Killian Hayes had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals but did have 8 turnovers in 26 minutes and Andreas Obst chipped in 15 points. Vechta were able to grab 22 offensive rebounds but could not take advantage of them as they shot 27.5 percent from the floor and turned the ball over 24 times, with the starting lineup combining for just 18 points as Josh Young and Philipp Herkenhoff both went scoreless. Sergi Garcia had 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and Maxi DiLeo picked up 12 points in the loss.
Ulm double up with cup home victory over Vechta
ratiopharm ulm proved themselves just days later again against RASTA Vitiate in the Round of 16 of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup with an 88-71 home victory. Ulm took over in the second quarter and led by as many as 23 points, shooting 55.0 percent for the game and holding Vechta to just 40.0 percent and forcing 22 turnovers. Zoran Dragic scored 16 points while Derek Willis collected 14 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals and 4 of the Ulm’s 8 blocks. The victory did have a bitter aftertaste as Killian Hayes injured his foot in the second quarter and could not continue. Vechta had Trevis Simpson score 14 points and Steve Vasturia had 11 points.
Bamberg head to Braunschweig for cup quarters, Oldenburg face Bayern-Bonn winner
The final game of the opening round of the MagentaSport BBL German Cup will be played on October 14 with FC Bayern Munich hosting Telekom Baskets Bonn, but the quarter-finals match-ups were already drawn. Reigning champions Brose Bamberg will travel to Basketball Löwen Braunschweig on the December 14-15 weekend while ratiopharm ulm will host BG Göttingen, ALBA BERLIN welcome SYNTAINICS MBC and the winner between Bayern and Bonn will play at home against EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
Round 1 final game on Wednesday
The opening round of action in the easyCredit BBL will be completed on Wednesday, October 2 when Telekom Baskets Bonn host FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
Player(s) of the Week
The opening week of action saw two sets of games - Round 1 of the easyCredit BBL and the Round of 16 in the MagentaSport BBL German Cup. Therefore there are two Player of the Week honors to hand out. Rasid Mahalbasic flirted with a triple double for EWE Baskets Oldenburg in the league opener against s.Oliver Würzburg with 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting and 3-of-4 free throws, 13 rebounds, 9 assists and 1 turnover for a 35 efficiency in 24:32 minutes. The top player from the first round of cup action was Scott Eatherton of Basketball Löwen Braunschweig with 26 points on 9-of-11 shooting and 7-of-7 free throws, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals for an efficiency of 34 against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg.
Na, zufrieden mit eurem Los im Viertelfinale des MagentaSport BBL Pokal? ???????? #TriumphoderTrauer pic.twitter.com/4eZ77Sb2Dk
— easyCredit BBL (@easyCreditBBL) September 30, 2019
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bennett Hundt, BG Göttingen
What a week for the 21-year-old Hundt, who arrived in Göttingen this off-season from the ALBA BERLIN system. The point guard started the season with career highs of 18 points, 4 assists and 30 minutes to go with 1 rebound and 1 steal along with 10-of-11 free throws against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. He followed that up with 16 points including 12-of-13 free throws, 1 rebound and 5 assists in Göttingen’s upset cup win over FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
SG: Andreas Obst, ratiopharm ulm
Welcome back to Germany … after one season in Spain, Obst is back in the easyCredit BBL and he showed he’s ready to be a showcase player. Obst nailed 4 three-pointers in scoring 15 points to go with 5 rebounds and 2 assists in the league opener against RASTA Vechta. He followed that with 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists in the cup win over Vechta.
???????????? frei - @Fruit_96 mit dem heißen Händchen! #uuulmer #weareone #easyCreditBBL
— ratiopharm ulm (@ratiopharmulm) September 28, 2019
???? Das Spiel seht ihr LIVE bei Magenta Sport. pic.twitter.com/0BxGmbmGkS
F: Karim Jallow, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Jallow will likely get more and more freedom in Braunschweig and he’s shown already that he can excel. In the league opener against BG Göttingen, Jallow scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shots and 2-of-2 free throws with 1 rebound and 2 assists and then collected 10 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists in Braunschweig’s cup victory over his former team MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg.
F: Paul Zipser, FC Bayern Munich
We have a very small team this week with Zipser making his return to Germany with a spot on the Top Five. He scored 17 points on 5-of-7 shots and 6-of-6 free throws with 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal against Hamburg Towers.
F: Lukas Meisner, medi bayreuth
Yep, this is a very small ball lineup this week but Meisner showed he deserves some recognition. Against Brose Bamberg in the season opener, he scored a career high 16 points on 7-of-12 shooting with 1 rebound and 1 assist. He followed that up with 11 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists in Bayreuth’s loss in the cup against SYNTAINICS MBC.
15. | 38:12 | #FCBBHAM
— FC Bayern Basketball (@fcb_basketball) September 30, 2019
Diese Combo lässt auf einiges hoffen: Moose macht hinten dicht, Paule macht vorne keine Gefangenen!
LIVE auf https://t.co/sAb7pvfw1l#FCBBlive #FCBB @paulzzip pic.twitter.com/PF8ProMJaz
Young Guns
Jonas Mattisseck, 19, PG, ALB BERLIN
With Franz Wagner and Bennett Hundt both gone, Mattisseck might be the Berlin youngster who profits the most and the guard stepped up in the cup victory over s.Oliver Würzburg. He scored 8 points on 3-of-4 shots to go with 2 assists and 1 steals in 12:19 minutes, including a big three-pointer and an assist in the final 3 minutes.
Kostja Mushidi, 21, SG, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Mushidi offered some glimpses of why he is considered an NBA prospect as he picked up 10 points and 6 rebounds against BG Göttingen in the league opener. In the cup win over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg, Mushidi had 8 points, 5 rebounds and 1 block.
Louis Olinde, 21, SF, Brose Bamberg
Our weekly player to watch last season, Olinde is expected to take a step up this year and he showed a strong game in the opener in the league with 12 points on 5-of-10 shots, 6 rebounds and 1 assist against medi bayreuth. In the cup victory over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers, Olinde missed all five of his shots in going scoreless but did chip in 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 14 minutes.
LIVE-VIDEO: Jonas Mattisseck und ein Pokalspiel gegen ein Team aus Bayern, da war doch mal was... #TriumphOderTrauer
— easyCredit BBL (@easyCreditBBL) September 28, 2019
???? Antworte jetzt mit #MVP + Nachname deines easyCredit Pokal-Achtelfinal-MVPs und gewinne zwei VIP-Tickets für ein Viertelfinale! ???? pic.twitter.com/lLegzWJ1Ah
