First off, happy holidays to everyone and Weekly News wishes you and yours a Happy New Year and may 2022 be a great year. The calendar year 2021 ended with a two-week stretch of three rounds of action, and instead of breaking them down every game, we looked at Winners and Losers of the last two weeks. The biggest winner is clearly TJ Shorts, Fabian Bleck and HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim while s.Oliver Würzburg should probably be considered the biggest losers.
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:
WINNERS
Crailsheim go 4-0 in two-week stretch, including Shorts’ big showing over Bonn
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim certainly take the crown as the biggest winners of the holidays - winning four games including a thriller over the league’s other hottest team Telekom Baskets Bonn. Crailsheim started the two-week stretch with a convincing 93-79 home win over Brose Bamberg and then took down then-leaders FC Bayern Munich 77-68 at home. Crailsheim were tested by NINERS Chemnitz, losing an 18-point fourth quarter lead but answering with a 13-0 run for a 92-82 win. Sebastian Gleim’s men were down by 17 against Bonn but TJ Shorts and Fabian Bleck showed the way with 36 points combined in an 81-76 victory. The win pushed Crailsheim’s record to 10-5 for fourth place after a four straight wins; and it snapped Bonn’s nine-game winning streak.
Leaders Bonn can’t hold off Crailsheim after having won nine straight
The fact that Crailsheim is ahead of Telekom Baskets Bonn on the winners list of the two weeks is more a testament to Crailsheim than anything against Bonn - oh, and Crailsheim beating Bonn to snap the latter’s nine-game winning streak. Tuomas Iisalo’s Bonn team are still atop the league at 12-3 with a strong showing. They started it by blasting medi bayreuth 96-71 on the road in a Round 12 make-up game and then rolled past SYNTAINICS MBC 115-90. Bonn were cruising against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig but nearly wasted a 17-point lead in winning 89-83 at home. Then came the defeat in Crailsheim, where Bonn did actually lose a 17-point after an amazing start to the game. But Bonn are looking good almost halfway through the season in the fight for home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Baldwin game-winner gives Göttingen 4-1 road record; fifth place
Don’t look now but BG Göttingen are in fifth place with a 9-4 record and momentum going into 2022 - thanks to Kamar Baldwin’s big game winner versus ratiopharm ulm. Göttingen started the stretch by grabbing an 86-79 road win over s.Oliver Würzburg and followed that with an 88-86 win at ratiopharm ulm as Baldwin hit a tough layup at the buzzer to extend Götteingen’s win streak to five games for a 4-1 record away from home. Göttingen did slip up in Round 15, losing at home 93-85, but Roel Moors has his team playing strong basketball.
Berlin churning out wins, making way up the standings
Reigning champions ALBA BERLIN are slowly finding their rhythm and churned out three more wins and have jumped to 10-4 in third place with four straight victories. Berlin blasted medi bayreuth at home 109-79 and then eased past s.Oliver Würzburg 96-81 at home. Israel Gonzalez’s team were held close by Hamburg Towers but pulled away late for an 88-80 win.
Chemnitz challenge not quite enough vs Crailsheim; Wimberg wins it vs Frankfurt
NINERS Chemnitz continued their strong season with a 2-1 record, including wins they should get if they want to stay in the playoffs race. Chemnitz came out of a quarantine and won a third straight game as they got a big Jan Niklas Wimberg three-pointer late in an 82-78 win at FRAPORT SKYLINERS. Chemnitz showed their class as they came back from 18 points down in the fourth and were leading HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim before falling 92-82. Chemnitz bounced back in strong fashion with a 91-74 win at home over SYNTAINICS MBC and are now 9-5 in seventh place.
Chemnitz add point guard Eric Washington
NINERS Chemnitz reacted to their continuing problems at the point guard position by signing American playmaker Eric Washington. The 27-year-old played most recently with French second division side Aix Mauriennce Savoie Basket.
Braunschweig end Göttingen win streak after tough fight against Bonn
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig had a great stretch on the court as they produced two victories and nearly knocked off the new league leaders. Braunschweig extended their winning streak to three games as they defeated JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 71-69 at home. Jesus Ramirez’s team could not quite knock off Telekom Baskets Bonn as they cut a 17-point deficit to one point before losing 89-83. Braunschweig did bounce back in style in racing past BG Göttingen 93-85 to snap their five-game winning streak and give Braunschweig a 6-8 record.
Braunschweig lose Amaize for the season
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig’s good news on the court was overshadowed off the court by Robin Amaize getting injured and being ruled out the rest of the season. The German international injured his knee against Telekom Baskets Bonn and is not expected to be able to return to the court this season.
Returns of Cherry, Badio help Frankfurt to two wins
FRAPORT SKYLINERS grab a spot in the winners group thanks to the returns of two key players who helped the team to two wins. Will Cherry and Brancou Badio came back from injuries and gave Frankfurt an added fight against NINERS Chemnitz, though it was not enough as they lost 82-78 at home in overtime. But the duo guided Frankfurt to an 87-82 home victory over MLP Academics Heidelberg as well as a 90-79 triumph at JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. That left Frankfurt with a 5-10 record.
LOSERS
Comeback not enough, Würzburg drop first three games under Filipovski
s.Oliver Würzburg are still free-falling as they have dropped eight in a row - including three games in the two-week stretch, the first trio of contests under new head coach Sasa Filipovski. In his first game in charge, Würzburg came back from 16 points down at home but still lost to BG Göttingen 86-79. They followed that with a 96-61 blowout loss at ALBA BERLIN and then lost 88-80 at home versus medi bayreuth. Würzburg are now 3-11 after eight straight defeats.
Bamberg finally win under Amiel, but confidence not boosted yet
Brose Bamberg did finally win again but their two-week stretch was not great for their confidence, falling to 6-9 - three wins away from a playoffs spot. Bamberg started with a 93-79 loss at HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim in a Round 19 makeup game. Bamberg then lost at home 88-81 against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg - extending the team’s losing streak to six games, the longest in club history since an 8-game skid in 1999-2000. Oren Amiel finally got his first win as head coach in a 98-86 victory at SYNTAINICS MBC, but Bamberg’s opponents in that game were struggling themselves. And Bamberg finished the stretch with a 95-86 home loss to FC Bayern Munich.
Bamberg sign Kyzlink, part ways with Simpson
New Brose Bamberg head coach Oren Amiel got the first change to his team as shooting guard Tomas Kyzlink was added until the end of the season while Travis Simpson was released from his contract. Amiel knew the 28-year-old Czech guard from his time coaching at ERA Nymburk as Kyzlink has played for USK Prague, with whom he was scoring nearly 18 points a game.
Giessen losing streak hits seven with four losses
JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers had two weeks to forget as they dropped four games to extend their losing skid to seven games for a 3-12 mark. They started it all with a 71-69 loss at Basketball Löwen Braunschweig in a Round 12 make-up game. Giessen were rolled by Hamburg Towers 104-82 on the road and then lost 96-87 at MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Loss number seven came at home, 90-79 against FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
Heidelberg just keep losing - two more Ls for a 9-game skid
The longest current losing streak actually belongs to MLP Academics Heidelberg, who dropped two games to fall to 4-10 and nine straight defeats. Heidelberg lost at home to ratiopharm ulm 84-79 and then were beaten 87-82 on the road against FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
MBC have tough stretch with three blowout losses
SYNTAINICS MBC came into the stretch having won their previous game but ended Round 15 with a 4-10 mark and three straight losses. They were routed 115-90 at Telekom Baskets Bonn and then fell at home 98-86 to a struggling Brose Bamberg. And then MBC were blasted 91-74 by NINERS Chemnitz.
NEITHER
Bayern fall to hot Crailsheim, bounce back late to beat Bamberg
It would be hard to put FC Bayern Munich in either winners or losers, so let’s put them in the neither category as they went 1-1 over the two weeks. Bayern lost a defensive battle at HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 77-68, but the hosts had already won five games at home and there were fans in Crailsheim - not to mention Bayern dealing with injury and EuroLeague schedule stress. Bayern did come up with a 13-2 run late in their road game against Brose Bamberg to secure a 95-86 record for a 11-3 record in second place in the league.
Ulm lose at buzzer, but did get two wins
ratiopharm ulm will also be put in this category as they picked up two wins in three games. They managed to pull away late to beat MLP Academics Heidelberg 84-79 and then lost at home 88-86 on a buzzer beater by Kamar Baldwin for hot BG Göttingen. Jaka Lakovic’s team bounced back strongly and defeated MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 78-66 for a 9-5 record in sixth place.
Hamburg roll past Giessen, give Berlin a challenge
Hamburg Towers did not quite do enough to get into the Winners group but were definitely not among the Losers. Hamburg did what they should in Round 13, beating a weaker JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers team 104-82 at home. And they held tight for three quarters at home against ALBA BERLIN before losing 88-80 for an 8-5 record.
Ludwigsburg win at Bamberg but struggle vs Giessen and lose in Ulm
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg also did not do enough to be considered a Winner. They did beat Brose Bamberg in Round 13 on the road 88-81, but it was a Bamberg team that dropped their fifth straight. And Ludwigsburg then only managed to pull away late at home against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 96-87 in Round 14. John Patrick’s men didn’t do themselves any favors in Round 15 by losing 78-66 at ratiopharm ulm in a battle of playoffs teams. Ludwigsburg are now 9-6.
Bayreuth drop two games but win at Würzburg
medi bayreuth went 1-2 during the two weeks but they were not bad enough to be put into the Losers group. Bayreuth were blasted by the league’s hottest team Telekom Baskets Bonn 96-71 at home and then also lost 109-79 at home against ALBA BERLIN. But Bayreuth held tight with Berlin for about 27 minutes, and then they bounced back with an 88-80 road victory over s.Oliver Würzburg to improve to 6-7.
QUARATINED
Oldenburg have not played since December 18 with Covid-19 issues
And then there is EWE Baskets Oldenburg, who are left in quarantine as the team struggles with Covid-19 issues. Oldenburg have not played since December 18 and have lost three straight for a 2-9 record.
Player(s) of the Week(s)
Three rounds of games meant three Players of the Weeks. Round 13’s top performance came from Jamel Morris of SYNTAINICS, who had an efficiency of 33 as he scored 31 points on 8-of-13 shots with 7 three-pointers and 8-of-9 free throws. He also had 6 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steals against Telekom Baskets Bonn. HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim players took top honors for Rounds 14 and 15 - both with efficiencies of 31. Elias Lasisi came off the bench against NINERS Chemnitz for 29 points on 8-of-13 shots with 7 three-pointers and 6-of-7 free throws to go along with 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals. TJ Shorts was the man in Round 15 against Telekom Baskets Bonn with 23 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 7-of-7 free throws, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Len Schoormann, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Schoormann has really been playing well with Will Cherry and Brancou Badio out and it’s time to get him in the Top Five. The 19-year-old had 13 points, 3 rebounds and 1 steal against NINERS Chemnitz and followed that with 16 points and 2 rebounds against MLP Academics Heidelberg. Schoormann then picked up 10 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in the win over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers.
G: David Krämer, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Krämer will have to pick up even more of the slack now with Robin Amaize out, but the German international had a strong two weeks. He collected 17 points, 3 rebounds and 2 assists against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers and then had 20 points with 6 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals versus Telekom Baskets Bonn and finished with 8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals against BG Göttingen.
G: Fabian Bleck, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
What a week for Bleck and Crailsheim. The team captain had 9 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals against Brose Bamberg and followed that with 9 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists in the win over FC Bayern Munich. Bleck then chipped in 9 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 2 steals against NINERS Chemnitz and finished the two weeks with 13 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 steals in the victory over Telekom Baskets Bonn.
F: Oscar Da Silva, ALBA BERLIN
Da Silva played a major role in Berlin grabbing three wins. He had 15 points, 10 rebounds and 2 assists against medi bayreuth and then tallied 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal versus s.Oliver Würzburg. He finished the stretch with 15 points and 7 rebounds against Hamburg Towers.
C: Leon Kratzer, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Kratzer was chosen this week for having four solid games. He collected 7 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks in the win over medi bayreuth and had 15 points, 7 rebounds and 1 block against SYNTAINICS MBC. Kratzer played a big role in Bonn beating Basketball Löwen Braunschweig with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 2 blocks, and he picked up 8 points and 10 rebounds in the loss to HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
Young Guns
Justus Hollatz, 20, PG, Hamburg Towers
Hollatz had two solid games as he tallied 8 points, 2 rebounds, 7 assists and 1 steal against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers and then had 4 points, 2 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal versus ALBA BERLIN.
Kay Bruhnke, 20, SG, medi bayreuth
Bruhnke continues to have a strong season as the 20-year-old showed some of his potential. He had 4 points, 3 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block against Telekom Baskets Bonn but then had 10 points, 1 rebound and 1 steal facing ALBA BERLIN. And then he collected 12 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 blocks in the win over s.Oliver Würzburg.
Luc van Slooten, 19, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
van Slooten is really starting to contribute in multiple ways for Braunschweig. He had 6 points, 7 rebounds, 1 assist and 4 steals in the win over JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers. He followed that with 12 points - albeit with 0-of-8 on three-pointers - 4 rebounds and 1 steal versus Telekom Baskets Bonn. And van Slooten chipped in 9 points with 3 three-pointers and 4 rebounds versus BG Göttingen.
Tischlers Watch
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig went 2-1 in the two-week holiday stretch and both Tischler twins Nicholas and Brandon played their roles. Brandon had 3 points and 1 rebound in 9:02 minutes against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers and followed that with 0 points, 2 rebounds, 1 steal and 1 block as he started and played 14:01 minutes versus Telekom Baskets Bonn. Brandon also had 1 points and 1 assist in 15:18 minutes against BG Göttingen. Nicholas scored 2 points with 2 rebounds in 6:34 minutes against Giessen; had just 1 turnover in 2:54 minutes facing Bonn; and chipped in 9 points and 1 rebound in 12:04 minutes against Göttingen.
Germans Abroad
Sure we have already featured Franz Wagner but how can you not go back to the Orlando Magic youngster as he absolutely dominated against the reigning NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks. Wagner torched the Bucks for 38 points in a 127-110 loss. His new career high - which was the most by an NBA rookie this season - topped Dirk Nowitzki’s previous best for most points by a German rookie when he had 29 points in 1998. Wagner also had 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the game.
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