FC Bayern Munich collected an important victory over ALBA BERLIN as they won the big showdown of Big Bs in the German capital, thanks to the birthday boy Nick Weiler-Babb. Another B - Telekom Baskets Bonn - also kept winning as they grabbed their fifth straight victory. Also ratiopharm ulm have finally won a game in the league at home.
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:
Birthday boy Weiler-Babb, Bayern beat Berlin in Big B battle
FC Bayern Munich prevailed in the first league battle of Big Bs with ALBA BERLIN, grabbing an 80-73 road victory to extend their winning streak to five games. Six weeks after Bayern beat Berlin 82-69 in the German capital in the EuroLeague, the game was tight throughout with nine points being the biggest lead. But there were only three lead changes with Bayern pulling ahead late in the first half and never falling behind again to improve to 9-2 with Berlin dropping to 6-4. Bayern shot 53.7 percent from the field including a strong 48.0 percent from long range while holding Berlin to just 36.4 percent on three-pointers. Nick Weiler-Babb, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, was too much for Berlin with 18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals and Vladimir Lucic collected 17 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Maodo Lo led Berlin with 17 points but Johannes Thiemann was the only other ALBA player in double figures with 11 points.
Bayern reunite with veteran KC Rivers, add guard depth
FC Bayern Munich reacted to the injury to Darrun Hilllard and added some experience at the guard position by signing K.C. Rivers until the end of the season. The 34-year-old Rivers is a former Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion with Real Madrid in 2015. He played for Bayern the following season in 2015-16.
Berlin will host German Cup Top Four
ALBA BERLIN will have the home court advantage at the MagentaSport BBL Pokal German Cup Top Four as they will host the event on February 19-20, 2022. The matchups for the weekend have Berlin facing NINERS Chemnitz and Basketball Löwen Braunschweig against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
Bonn beat Heidelberg, extend win streak to five
Telekom Baskets Bonn extended their winning streak to five games as they rolled past MLP Academics Heidelberg 87-70 at home. Bonn took the lead late in the first quarter and never gave it up though they never put the game away until a 14-4 run in the fourth quarter for an 8-2 record. Heidelberg have now lost six straight to fall to 4-7. Heidelberg made just 4-of-22 three-pointers (18.2 percent) and also turned the ball over 19 times. Skyler Bowlin had another big game with 24 points including 5 three-pointers to lead Bonn while Michael Kessens picked up 19 points and 7 rebounds and Parker Jackson-Cartwright added 12 points and 7 assists. Kelvin Martin paced Heidelberg with 13 points.
Ulm grab first home victory of the season thanks to Klepeisz shooting
ratiopharm ulm finally grabbed their first home victory of the season in the league as they fended off Hamburg Towers 78-74. Ulm had a slow start to the game, falling behind by 12 points in the first 5 minutes. The hosts would take their first lead late in the second quarter and extend the gap to 14 points late in the third period. Ulm managed to keep Hamburg at arm’s length as both teams moved to 6-4. Ulm shot just 42.6 percent for the game but made 42.3 percent from long range while Hamburg connected on just 38.6 percent from the field. The hosts dominated the glass, out-rebounding Hamburg 51-28, including 14 offensive rebounds. That helped them survive 23 turnovers. Thomas Klepeisz paced Ulm with 19 points including 6 three-pointers and Cristiano Felicio collected 8 points and 16 rebounds. Maik Kotsar was Hamburg’s leading scorer with 16 points and Caleb Homesley picked up 10 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists.
Shorts shines, Crailsheim prevail in defensive battle with Ludwigsburg
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim emerged as the winner of a defensive battle against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg with a 72-61 victory - thanks in large part to T.J. Shorts. Crailsheim led by 10 points at halftime but then took control of the game with a 19-11 third quarter in extending the lead to 21 points. Crailsheim, who watched Ludwigsburg get within eight points, improved to 6-4, which is also Ludwigsburg’s record. Crailsheim shot only 39.7 percent from the field, including 26.7 percent from long range, but they held Ludwigsburg to just 33.3 percent and 12.9 percent, respectively. Shorts did his thing with 22 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Jaren Lewis collected 15 points and 11 rebounds in the win. Johannes Patrick and Justin Simon both scored 12 points to lead Ludwigsburg.
Doreth, 4th quarter carry Bayreuth to win over Frankfurt
medi bayreuth dominated in the fourth quarter to grab an 85-72 home victory over FRAPORT SKYLINERS and extend their winning streak to four games. Frankfurt built a 10-point lead in the second quarter and led by eight points in the final frame until Bayreuth went on runs of 10-0 and 14-0 to decide the game and move to 5-4 with Frankfurt dropping to 3-7. Bayreuth hit 50.0 percent on three-pointers (13-of-26) and committed only 8 turnovers while holding Frankfurt to 25.0 percent on triples (6-of-24). Bastian Doreth hit 6 three-pointers in scoring 21 points to go with 8 assists while Martynas Sajus and Kay Bruhnke both scored 13 points in the win. Will Cherry was Frankfurt’s leading scorer with 18 points and 7 assists while Matt Haarms picked up 12 points and 8 rebounds.
Chemnitz waste 20-point lead, hold off Giessen at home
NINERS Chemnitz wasted a 20-point third quarter lead but managed to come back and defeat JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 82-75 at home. Chemnitz took over the game in the second quarter and extended their lead to 20 points early in the third quarter. Giessen raced back into the game with a 25-5 run spanning the final two frames to take the lead. Chemnitz responded with a 16-4 surge to grab the win and improve to 6-4 with Giessen falling to 3-7. Chemitz shot 52.6 percent for the game and held Giessen to just 3-of-19 on three-pointers (15.8 percent). And the hosts needed that as they committed 22 turnovers. Darion Atkins paced five Chemnitz players in double figures with 16 points, and Trent Lockett added 13 points. TJ Williams paced Giessen with 17 points and Brayon Blake picked up 16 points.
Chemnitz sign Lockett after Robinson departure
NINERS Chemnitz have strengthened their backcourt by signing Trent Lockett until the end of the season. The 31-year-old was brought in after Gerald Robinson left the club for Sassari in Italy. Lockett will be playing in the easyCredit BBL for a second time after starting his European career with Basketball Löwen Braunschweig in 2014-15.
Baldwin free throws secure Göttingen win in thriller over MBC
BG Göttingen remained among the top teams in the league after surviving a thriller at home with a 91-90 victory over SYNTAINICS MBC. The game was tight throughout with eight points the biggest lead for either team and there being 17 lead changes and 10 ties. Göttingen trailed by four points midway through the fourth quarter but Jake Toolson converted a four-point play in a 9-0 run to pull ahead 83-78. Down 89-85 inside the final minute, Johannes Richter hit a three-pointer and Kostja Mushidi followed with a layup and MBC were up 90-89 with 23 seconds left. Kamar Baldwin answered with two free throws with 18 seconds left to give Göttingen back the lead, and MBC missed three chances to win in the closing seconds. The main difference in the stats was Göttingen hitting 10-of-25 three-pointers for 40.0 percent while MBC hit just 6-of-26 from long range for 23.1 percent. Baldwin led Göttingen with 21 points and Stephen Brown picked up a 19-point, 13-assist double-double. Jamel Morris was the game’s leading scorer with 25 points and Mushidi finished with 19 points but it was not enough.
Braunschweig waste lead but beat Würzburg to snap losing skis
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig wasted a 15-point lead with 5 minutes left but managed to beat s.Oliver Würzburg 87-86 on the road to snap a four-game losing streak. Braunschweig went up by 12 points in the second quarter and never really let Würzburg threaten them, extending the advantage to 16 points early in the fourth quarter and still leading by 15 points with 5 minutes to play. Würzburg fought back into the game and tied it with 11 seconds to play. On the final play, Braunschweig’s Tookie Brown airballed a long three-pointer but David Krämer grabbed the rebound and was fouled. He made one free throw to end the guests’ losing streak and send both teams to 3-7 records. Brown and Martin Peterka both scored 18 points in the win with Krämer chipping in 14 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals and 1 block. Tomasz Gielo paced Würzburg with 19 points and Aigars Skele added 17 points and 6 assists.
Player of the Week
Michael Kessens came off the bench in Telekom Baskets Bonn’s win over MLP Academics Heidelberg but won Player of the Week honors. He scored 19 points on 8-of-10 shooting and 3-of-4 free throws to go with 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block for an efficiency of 28.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Bastian Doreth, medi bayreuth
Doreth was outstanding in Bayreuth's win over FRAPORT SKYLINERS with 21 points, 2 rebounds, 8 assists and 1 steal.
G: David Krämer, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Krämer saved the day for Braunschweig with the game-winning free throw with 1.0 seconds left against s.Oliver Würzburg. In total, he had 14 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 1 block.
G: Kostja Mushidi, SYNTAINICS MBC
Mushidi is doing what he is expected to do - scoring; picking up 19 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in a loss to BG Göttingen.
C: Philipp Hartwich, BG Göttingen
Hartwich came up big in Göttingen’s win over SYNTAINICS MBC as he collected 14 points, 6 rebounds and 3 blocks.
C: Michael Kessens, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Kessens played a great game in Bonn’s win over MLP Academics Heidelberg with 19 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
Young Guns
Lorenz Brenneke, 21, PF, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Brenneke had another solid game for Frankfurt, albeit in a loss as he collected 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting (0-2 threes) and 0-of-2 free throws, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in 20:18 minutes against medi bayreuth.
Kay Bruhnke, 20, SG, medi bayreuth
Bruhnke continues to play well as he tallied 13 points on 4-of-5 threes and 1-of-2 free throws to go with 4 rebounds and 1 steal in 15:53 minutes against FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
Johannes Patrick, 19 PG, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Patrick got a chance to shine a bit for Ludwigsburg as he drained 4 three-pointers in scoring 12 points and also had 2 rebounds in 11:00 minutes against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
Tischlers Watch
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig grabbed a big victory at s.Oliver Würzburg which was a reason for the Tischler twins Nicholas and Brandon to be happy. Nicholas continues to get more playing time as he scored 2 points on 2-of-2 free throws - missing his only field goal attempt - to go with 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 12:10 as a starter. Brandon ended up playing 3:22 minutes and made 1-of-2 free throws for 1 point and grabbed 1 rebound.
Germans Abroad
Lars Thiemann put together his best scoring game for University of California Berkely as he tallied 12 points, 3 rebounds and 1 block against Idaho State. It was a career high for the 21-year-old 7-footer, who is playing in his third season with the Golden Bears after coming up in the Bayer Giants Leverkusen system.
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