– David Hein
FC Bayern Munich made some major changes to their lineup as they look to reclaim the easyCredit BBL title with two additions and two departures. On the court, Bayern are one of four remaining undefeated teams along with Hamburg Towers, who picked up two victories. The week also saw Mr. Triple-Double - Rasid Mahalbasic of EWE Baskets Oldenburg - strike again.
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 Ger-many’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 to home win over Göttingen
FC Bayern Munich were unfazed by the changes in their team as they rolled to a 90-72 home victory over BG Göttingen to remain undefeated in the league. Bayern took over in the second quarter and moved to 4-0 while Göttin-gen fell to 2-3. Bayern out-rebounded Göttingen 46-34 including 20 offensive rebounds while also holding the guest to just 40.3 percent shooting including 22.7 percent on three-pointers and hitting 27-of-35 free throws compared to 17-of-21 foul shots for Göttingen. DJ Seeley led Bayern with 18 points in his first game with his new team while fellow new addition James Gist did not play. JaJuan Johnson added 15 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks in the win and Wade Baldwin picked up 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists. Aubrey Dawkins paced Göttingen with 18 points and Luke Nelson had 12 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals.
Bayern add Gist, Seeley, send Bray to Spain on loan, release Thomas
FC Bayern Munich made a number of changes to their team as they look for a unit that can challenge in both the easyCredit BBL and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. Bayern signed James Gist on a deal until the end of the season and also added DJ Seeley in a deal with Spanish side Casademont Zaragoza, who in return got TJ Bray on loan for the remainder of the season. Bayern also released Malcolm Thomas.
Hamburg roll on in roller-coaster win at MBC
Hamburg Towers remained the surprise team of the young season as they won a roller-coaster at SYNTAINICS MBC 85-80 to stay undefeated. Hamburg led 45-27 at halftime but then watched as MBC took the third quarter 32-17. In the end, TJ Shorts scored four big points to give Hamburg a 4-0 record while MBC fell to 0-3. Hamburg held MBC to just 40.3 percent shooting for the game though they didn’t make things easy for themselves, connecting on just 11-of-19 free throws for 57.9 percent. Shorts came off the bench to lead Hamburg with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists, Maik Kotsar added 14 points and Kam Taylor came up with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Michal Michalak drained 7 three-pointers in scoring 29 points while Kyndahl Hill had 16 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists and Quinton Hooker chipped in 10 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals in the loss.
Hamburg shut down bonn in second half for Round 4 road win
Hamburg Towers continued their superb start to the season as they shut down Telekom Baskets Bonn in the second half for a strong 93-63 road victory in Round 4 action. Bonn led by 11 points in the second quarter but then scored only 24 points in the second half as Hamburg moved to 3-0 while Bonn dropped to 0-4. Hamburg held Bonn to just 37.0 percent shooting for the game and dominated the glass 42-23 including 13 offensive rebounds. Kam Taylor stood out with 21 points while TJ Shorts scored 16 points and Jordan Swing and Maik Kotsar both tallied 12 points. Strahinja Micovic, Chris Babb and TJ DiLeo all scored 11 points for Bonn in the loss.
Shorthanded, road weary Berlin struggle to win at Bayreuth
ALBA BERLIN managed through a short-handed roster and shaky offensive performance to pull out a 71-69 victory at medi bayreuth in the team’s third road game in the last six days. Berlin were without Ben Lammers, Simone Fontecchio, Marcus Eriksson and Lorenz Brenneke and gave up a 14-point second quarter lead, scoring just nine points in the fourth quarter and needing a dunk by Louis Olinde with 6.9 seconds left on the clock to get the win and move to 4-0 while Bayreuth fell to 2-2. Berlin committed 22 turnovers and shot only 41.4 percent from the field but out-rebounded the hosts 47-28 including 19 offensive rebounds to win - also despite making - and hitting - just two free throws. Niels Giffey paced the reigning champs with 15 points and 5 rebounds while Johannes Thiemann had 14 poins and 7 rebounds and Luke Sikma collected 13 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 steals. Frank Bartley was Bayreuth’s main man with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 4 steals and 1 block and Derek Pardon added 14 points, 5 rebounds and 2 blocks.
Ulm win thriller at home over Vechta, stay unbeaten
ratiopharm ulm remained among the unbeaten teams as they won a tight battle with RASTA Vechta 74-73 at home. Ulm led by 13 points in the second quarter but the game was tight the whole second half and Dylan Osetkowski hit the game-winning free throw with 2.6 seconds left. Ulm moved to 4-0 while Vechta dropped to 0-4. Andi Obst paced Ulm with 14 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists and Osetkowski picked up 10 points, 10 rebounds and 2 steals. Stefan Peno was excellent for Vechta with 16 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals while Philipp Herkenhoff had 13 points and 3 rebounds in his first league game of the season.
Ulm add Conger on two-month deal
ratiopharm ulm responded to a couple of injuries and added Demitrius Conger on a two-month contract. Ulm brought in the wing as Thomas Klepeisz will be out a number of weeks with a shoulder injury and Christoph Phillips is out indefinitely. The 30-year-old Conger played last season with Real Betis Sevilla of the Spanish top flight.
Mahalbasic collects triple-double in Oldenburg’s rolling of Chemnitz in Round 4
EWE Baskets Oldenburg rolled past NINERS Chemnitz 119-73 in a Round 4 makeup game as Rasid Mahalbasic collected the fifth triple-double of his German career. Oldenburg led 32-22 after 10 minutes and blew the game open in the second quarter to move to 3-1 while promoted Chemnitz are still waiting for their first win at 0-3. Oldenburg shot 66.1 percent from the field including a white-hot 70.0 percent from deep - hitting 21 three-pointers, only FC Bayern Munich buried more triples, 23 in 2015 versus Tübingen. Mahalbasic had 18 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists while Rickey Paulding, Keith Hornsby and Sebastian Herrera all scored 18 points, and Braydon Hobbs, Phil Pressey and Nathan Boothe all chipped in 12 points. Jan Niklas Wimberg paced Chemnitz with a career-high 15 points, 5 rebounds and 2 assists and Malte Ziegenhagen hit a career-high 12 points.
Hornsby provides heroics as Oldenburg keep Bonn reeling
EWE Baskets Oldenburg used a late run to prevail in a tough 97-92 win at home against Telekom Baskets Bonn. Keith Hornsby hit a three-pointer and dagger jumper in an 8-0 run in the final 2 minutes as Oldenburg jumped to 4-1 while Bonn are still reeling at 0-5. Oldenburg committed only 8 turnovers and had 19-of-22 free throws to 9-of-14 free throws for Bonn, who stayed in the game by hitting 68.4 percent from long range. Rickey Paulding led the way with 19 points, Nathan Boothe scored 18 points, Phil Pressey and Hornsby both hit 14 points and Rasid Mahalbasic picked up 10 points, 9 rebounds and 3 assists. Deividas Gailius paced Bonn with 25 points.
Balanced Ludwigsburg deal Crailsheim first loss
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg dealt HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim their first loss of the season as six players scored in double figures in a 97-88 home victory - which gave both teams a 3-1 record. Ludwigsburg shot 58.3 percent on two-pointers compared to 48.3 percent for Crailsheim and the hosts won the rebound battle 42-27 including 16 offensive rebounds. Barry Brown Jr. poured in 30 points to lead Ludwigsburg while Jaleen Smith scored 16 points, Elias Harris had 15 points and 8 rebounds and Yorman Polas Bartolo contributed 10 points, 12 rebounds and 3 assists. Trae Bell-Haynes was strong for Crailsheim with 24 points and 8 assists while Maurice Stuckey picked up 14 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists and Radii Caisin scored a career-high 13 points.
Craisheim still undefeated with Round 4 home win over Göttingen
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim remained perfect in the league as they fended off BG Göttingen 89-77 at home in a Round 4 makeup game. The hosts led 29-14 after 10 minutes and the lead was 22 points in the second quarter before Göttingen fought the deficit down to six points in fourth quarter. Göttingen ended up moving to 3-0 and Göttingen dropped to 2-2. Crailsheim committed only 11 turnovers and held Göttingen to just 43.9 percent shooting, including 27.8 percent from long range. Trae Bell-Haynes led the way for Crailsheim with 29 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists while Bogdan Radosavljevic had 21 points and 5 rebounds. Tai Odiase paced Göttingen with 22 points, 12 rebounds and 2 blocks while Luke Nelson scored 16 points.
Göttingen strengthen front court with Rayman
BG Göttingen picked up reinforcements for the front court with the addition of William Rayman. The power forward signed with Göttingen on a deal until the end of the season after previously playing with Estonian side Tartu.
Göttingen, Vechta to play in front of fans - made of cardboard
With the Covid-19 pandemic causing teams to play their games without fans in the arenas, BG Göttingen and RASTA Vechta have found ways to drum up new support. Both clubs will play up-coming with fans in the stands - cut-out fans made of cardboard. Vechta announced it was offering fans to have their likeness propped up in the Rasta Dome for a fee of 15 euros. A third of the monies will go to the club’s work in the youth ranks. One report said that Vechta players will also have cardboard cut-outs in the stands - watching themselves play. Fans will eventually be able to keep the cut-outs.
Frankfurt get first victory at winless Chemnitz
FRAPORT SKYLINERS claimed the battle of winless teams as they picked up an 83-70 victory at NINERS Chemnitz to move to 1-3. The game was tight until the fourth quarter when the hosts, who dropped to 0-4, watched Frank-furt run away with a 12-2 run. Frankfurt forced 19 Chemnitz turnovers and out-rebounded the hosts 36-25 including grabbing 14 offensive rebounds. Matt Mobley was the top weapon with 29 points and 6 rebounds while Jon Axel Gudmundsson had 15 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 4 steals and Michael Kessens chipped in 13 points and 8 rebounds. Terrell Harris tallied 21 points, 3 assists and 3 steals in the loss and Jan Niklas Wimberg added 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals.
Lawson returns to Chemnitz for two months
NINERS Chemnitz welcomed back a familiar face as they hope to overcome an injury to center Filip Stanic with the signing of Joe Lawson. The big man played from 2016 to 2018 for Crailsheim and penned a deal for two months - though the club said an extension with the 28-year-old could be possible down the road. Stanic is due to miss about two months with a torn left thigh muscle.
Braunschweig take down Würzburg in thrilling overtime road win
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig needed overtime but prevailed in a thriller at s.Oliver Würzburg, winning 93-89 to move to 2-2. Six points was the biggest lead for either team and Tyson Ward made just one of two free throws for the hosts with 18 seconds left to force overtime. In the extra session, Braunschweig decided the game at the foul line for their first road win of the season, which dropped Würzburg to 1-3. Braunschweig shot 64.3 percent on two-pointers and hit 24-of-31 free throws compared to 12-of-17 foul shots for Würzburg. Karim Jallow had 14 points and 4 rebounds while Lukas Meisner and James Robinson both scored 14 points and Gavin Schillling added 12 points and 7 rebounds. Ward finished with 22 points while Felix Koch had 17 points and Justin Sears picked up 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in his first game since missing 10 months with an Achilles tendon injury.
Bamberg nearly blow big lead, win at Giessen
Brose Bamberg nearly blew a big lead but managed to hang on and grab a 106-99 road victory over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. Bamberg saw a 19-point advantage early in the second half shrink down to six points inside the final minute but David Kravish and Devon Hall both hit two free throws in final 30 seconds as Bamberg moved to 2-2 and Giessen dropped to 0-2. Bamberg out-rebounded the hosts 39-29 and shot 55.6 percent from the field to make the difference. Kravish was great all game with 25 points, 9 rebounds and 3 blocks and Hall added 20 points and 5 assists with Kenneth Ogbe chipping in 15 points and 8 rebounds and Bennet Hundt picking up 6 points and 10 assists. Giessen’s top scorer was Jonathan Stark with 27 points and 5 assists and Liam O’Reilly contributed 20 points in the loss.
Makeup action this week
The up-coming week will see a number of makeup games with three Round 4 games on Tuesday and one on Wednesday while HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim host NINERS Chemnitz in Round 1 and Hamburg Towers welcome JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers in Round 2.
Player of the Week
David Kravish stood out and claimed the Round 5 Player of the Week honor for Brose Bamberg as he collected an efficiency of 31 with 25 points on 11-of-15 shots and 3-of-3 free throws to go with 9 rebounds, 1 steal and 3 blocks against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bennet Hundt, Brose Bamberg
Hundt struggled with his shot as he made just 2-of-10 shots in scoring 6 points but he dished out 10 assists in Bamberg’s win over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers.
G: Andi Obst, ratiopharm ulm
Obst played a major role in Ulm remaining undefeated as he collected 13 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists in a thrilling victory over RASTA Vechta.
F: Jan Niklas Wimberg, NINERS Chemnitz
A long-time prospect in EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s ranks, Wimberg is starting to shine with Chemnitz as he scored a career-high 15 points to go with 5 rebounds and 2 assists in a Round 4 loss to his former team. Wimberg then added 10 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in a loss to FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
F: Elias Harris, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Harris continues to play well with his new team as he collected 15 points and 8 rebounds in Ludwigsburg’s win over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
C: Michael Kessens, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Kessens gave Frankfurt a big boost down low as he collected 13 points and 8 rebounds against NINERS Chemnitz in helping the club to their first win of the season.
Young Guns
Justus Hollatz, 19, PG, Hamburg Towers
Hollatz played a big role in Hamburg’s two wins during the week as the 19-year-old collected 9 points on 4-of-7 shooting, including 1-of-2 from long range, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 turnover for an efficiency of 13 in 19:12 minutes against Telekom Baskets Bonn. He then picked up 4 points on 1-of-3 shooting, hitting 1-of-2 three-pointers and 1-of-2 free throws, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 turnovers in 14:37 minutes versus SYNTAINICS MBC.
Phillipp Herkenhoff, 21, PF, RASTA Vechta
Herkenhoff made his league debut this season as he collected 13 points and 3 rebounds in 21:33 minutes in his first action since two games in the German Cup group stage.
Radii Casisin, 19, SG, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Caisin had his best game as a professional as he made 5-of-8 shots including 3-of-6 three-pointers in scoring a career-high 13 points to go along with 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 15:35 minutes against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Caisin did not play in the game against BG Göttingen.
Germany lose two games in EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers
The German national team lost both of their games in the November FIBA window, which they played in a bubble in Pau, France. Henrik Rödl’s German side was beaten by Montenegro 80-74 and then fell to France 86-74 to drop to 1-3 in Group G of the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 Qualifiers. Germany do not have to qualify for the European showcase as they are one of four co-hosting nations along with Czech Republic, Georgia and Italy.
Germans Abroad
One German did see some success during the national team window as Dirk Bauermann guided Tunisia to three victories in three games in the FIBA Afro-Basket 2021 Qualifiers. Tunisia defeated Madagascar 89-52 before knocking off Congo DR 61-50 and Central African Republic 80-63 in Group A of the qualifiers. Bauermann, who coaches the ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES in the ProA, took over the coaching reins of the reigning African champions earlier this year.
