This week tips off with the ageless Rickey Paulding doing his thing as the 39-year-old drained the game-winner in EWE Baskets Oldenburg’s thrilling win over BG Göttingen. There was bad news from HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim as their MVP candidate TJ Shorts will miss the rest of the season after tearing a pectoral tendon. And more off court news had FRAPORT SKYLINERS fire head coach Diego Ocampo after the team lost their eighth straight game and replace him on the interim with assistant coach Klaus Perwas.
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:
Paulding triple gives Oldenburg thrilling win over Göttingen
EWE Baskets Oldenburg continued their strong run as they won a real thriller at home 86-85 over BG Göttingen with Rickey Paulding draining the game-winning three-pointer with 2.4 seconds to play. The game was back and forth throughout with eight points being the biggest lead and 18 lead changes and eight ties. The final 3 minutes saw five lead changes with Kamar Baldwin making it 85-83 for the guests with his jumper with 4.8 seconds left before Paul-ding’s heroics. Oldenburg have won three straight to move to 8-17 with Göttingen dropping to 14-9. Oldenburg shot 60.0 percent from two-point range and won the rebound battle 41-34, including 13 offensive rebounds. Max Heidegger poured in 32 points with 5 rebounds and 5 assists while Paulding finished with 18 points and Tai Odiase added 10 points and 10 rebounds. Baldwin ended with 24 points in the loss with Stephen Brown scoring 20 points to go with 8 rebounds and 6 assists.
Season over for Crailsheim’s MVP candidate TJ Shorts
Bitter news out of HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim where their MVP candidate TJ Shorts tore a pectoral tendon and will need surgery that will keep him out the rest of the season. The 24-year-old suffered the injury in Crailsheim’s FIBA Europe Cup game against ZZ Leiden.
Frankfurt fire Ocampo, Perwas takes over as interim
FRAPORT SKYLINERS fired their head coach Diego Ocampo after the team dropped their eighth straight game, handing the reins in the interim to his as-sistant coach Klaus Perwas. Frankfurt lost nine of the last 11 games and dropped to last place in the league. The Spanish coach Ocampo was hired in the off-season on a two-year contract.
Frankfurt add Polish playmaker Marcel Ponitka
FRAPORT SKYLINERS made their final player personnel move of the season by adding Polish international playmaker Marcel Ponitka until the end of the season. The 24-year-old Pontika, whose older brother Mateusz Ponitka also plays for the Polish national team, joins Frankfurt from Russian club Parma Basket.
Würzburg finally win on road, keep Frankfurt reeling in Round 18 makeup
s.Oliver Würzburg finally collected their first road victory of the season as they knocked off FRAPORT SKYLINERS 69-61 in a Round 18 makeup game. Würzburg took over the game with a 27-14 second quarter and built a 21-point lead before holding on to improve to 7-17 including 1-10 on the road with their second straight win. Frankfurt have lost eight in a row to fall to 5-18. Frankfurt were held to just 31.3 percent shooting, including 22.9 percent from long range. William Buford led the way with 17 points and Charles Callison had 12 points for the winners. Rasheed Moore was the only Frankfurt player in double figures with 12 points.
Frankfurt snap losing skid, Perwas leads team to win at Braunschweig
FRAPORT SKYLINERS finally returned to the winning column as they knocked off Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 72-67 on the road to snap an eight-game losing streak. The win came with assistant coach Klaus Perwas patrolling the sidelines as head coach Diego Ocampo was fired earlier in the week. Neither team could really pull away with Frankfurt building only a 10-point lead briefly in the third quarter. Frankfurt’s acquisition Marcel Ponitka converted a three-point play and Frankfurt made 8-of-9 free throws in the final 70 seconds to fend off two Braunschweig three-pointers. Frankfurt improved to 6-18 while Braunschweig fell to 9-15 with their third straight loss. Braunschweig committed 22 turnovers and shot only 44.2 percent for the game. Will Cherry led Frankfurt with 16 points, Rasheed Moore had 12 points and Ponitka finished with 10 points and 8 assists. Owen Klassen was Braunschweig’s leading scorer with 18 points while Martin Peterka scored 13 points, David Krämer had 11 points and Ondrej Sehnal added 8 points and 10 assists.
Hulls threes help Ludwigsburg past Hamburg on road
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg remained one of the hottest teams in the league as they fought past Hamburg Towers 79-75 on the road for their fourth straight victory. The game was tight throughout with seven points being the biggest advantage in the game. Jordan Hulls drained three three-pointers in an 11-0 run late as Ludwigsburg won their eighth game in the last nine for a 17-7 record. Hamburg dropped to 12-12 and a 2-9 record against playoffs teams. Ludwigsburg committed only 12 turnovers to 16 for Hamburg. Jonah Radebaugh paced Ludwigsburg with 17 points while Hulls finished with 16 points and Justin Simon had 15 points. Seth Hinrichs poured in 19 points with 11 rebounds while Maxi DiLeo scored 13 points and Maik Kotsar picked up 11 points and 11 rebounds and Justus Hollatz added 10 points and 11 assists.
Würzburg beat Heidelberg for third straight win
s.Oliver Würzburg picked up a big victory in the fight against relegation as they knocked off MLP Academics Heidelberg 97-77 at home for their third straight win. Würzburg built a 13-point halftime lead and Heidelberg cut it to five points before the hosts went on a 12-0 run to end any doubts and move to 8-17 while Heidelberg fell to 8-15. Würzburg committed only 11 turnovers and held Heidelberg to just 42.1 percent from the field, including 20.7 percent from long range. Charles Callison paced six Würzburg players in double figures with 19 points while Cameron Hunt had 17 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists, Abdul-Malik Abu and Will Buford both scored 15 points and Desi Rodriguez chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds. Kelvin Martin was Heidelberg’s leading scorer with 18 points and Jordan Geist had 15 points.
Bonn breeze by Bayreuth at home
Telekom Baskets Bonn avoided a slip-up and breezed by medi bayreuth 86-65 at home for their fourth straight win and a 12-2 record at home. Bonn controlled the second half and put the game away for good with a 28-6 run spanning the final two quarters for a 19-7 record. Bayreuth have dropped four in a row and sit at 11-14. Bonn drained 14 three-pointers to just 7 triples for Bayreuth, who also committed 18 turnovers. Saulius Kulvietis hit 7 of Bonn’s three-pointers for 22 points while Parker Jackon-Cartwright collected 20 points, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocks. Martynas Sajus and Janari Joesaar both scored 12 points for Bayreuth, who had Andreas Seiferth back on the court for the first time since November and he had 4 points and 7 rebounds.
Bonn sign Ukrainian international Lypovyy
Telekom Baskets Bonn responded to the knee injury to Tyson Ward and signed Ukrainian international Oleksandr Lypovyy for the rest of the season. The 30-year-old veteran had been playing for Ukrainian side Prometey and played in the Basketball Champions League until the club decided to forgo the rest of the season and give its money to the country’s armed forces in the war against Russia.
Berlin roll past Braunschweig in Round 23 makeup for sixth straight win
ALBA BERLIN are rolling as they cruised past Basketball Löwen Braun-schweig 95-80 at home in a Round 23 makeup game for their 11th straight victory in all competitions. Braunschweig started stronger with a 10-point first quarter lead but Berlin took over the game with a 30-18 third quarter and never looked back to improve to 16-5 with their sixth straight win in the league. Braunschweig fell to 9-14 with a second straight loss. Berlin shot 53.2 percent for the game including 50.0 percent on three-pointers while the guests were held to 42.9 percent from the field. Jaleen Smith paced Berlin with 19 points and 5 assists while Tamir Blatt collected 13 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists and both Tim Schneider and Oscar da Silva added 10 points. Martin Peterka was Braunschweig’s leading scorer with 17 points with David Krämer adding 13 points and Luc van Slooten chipping in 11 points in the loss.
MBC grab fifth straight home win, beat Giessen in Round 20 makeup
SYNTAINICS MBC collected an important victory in their fight against relegation as they fended off JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers 91-89 in a Round 20 makeup game. The game went back and forth with the biggest lead being eight points and there being 16 lead changes and 7 ties. MBC led 89-82 with under 3 minutes to play but went scoreless for three possessions and it was a two-point lead. Kostja Mushidi and Goran Huskic both split two free throws in the final 31 seconds to secure MBC’s third straight win for a 9-14 record - including five straight home victories. Giessen dropped to 5-18. MBC shot 55.0 percent for the game and Giessen made just 56.5 percent from the free throw line. Nikola Rebic’s 17 points paced five MBC players in double figures inclu-ding Jamel Morris’ 16 points, Reggie Upshaw’s 15 points and 13 rebounds and 11 points from Mushidi. Nuni Omot collected 24 points and 8 rebounds and Kendale McCullum tallied 20 points and 14 assists in the loss.
Robinson’s threes carry Bamberg past MBC at home
Brose Bamberg stayed alive in the race for the playoffs as they fended off SYNTAINICS MBC 87-78 at home thanks to three three-pointers late by Justin Robinson. The guests had a nine-point lead early in the second quarter and the game went back and forth after that with 18 lead changes and 12 ties. MBC erased a nine-point Bamberg advantage in the fourth quarter and led by 2 points with 3 minutes to play. But Robinson caught fire from the outside in a 16-3 run to put the game away and give Bamberg a 10-14 record and MBC fell to 9-15. Bamberg committed only 8 turnovers and grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to help make up shooting just 42.7 percent for the game, getting 17 second chance points to four for MBC. Robinson finished with 23 points and 6 assists for the winners while Akil Mitchell collected 19 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals and Christian Sengfelder had 15 points and 8 rebounds. Kostja Mushidi paced MBC with 18 points and Sergio Kerusch scored 12 points while Goran Huskic chipped in 7 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists.
Bayern postpone a fourth game due to Covid outbreak
FC Bayern Munich’s already tight schedule will only get tighter as they were forced to postpone a fourth game due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the club which has left the team without enough players. Bayern’s top showdown with ALBA BERLIN was put on ice which followed the previous postponement of the ratiopharm ulm game in the easyCredit BBL as well as games against Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul and AX Armani Exchange Milan in the Turkish Arilines EuroLeague.
Ulm add big man Sean Evans to fill in for Felicio
ratiopharm ulm have added a replacement big man for injured Cristiano Felicio as they signed Sean Evans for the rest of the season. Evans joins the team from Ukrainian club Prometey, who had been playing in the Basketball Champions League until deciding to end its season and give its money to the Ukrainian armed forces to help fight off Russia’s invasion.
Wimberg to miss rest of season after elbow surgery
NINERS Chemnitz will not have one of their main German players for the push for the playoffs as Niklas Wimberg will miss the rest of the season with elbow surgery. The 26-year-old, who will have to sit out three months, had averaged 6.6 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists this season.
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week honors for Round 26 go to Parker Jackson-Cartwright of Telekom Baskets Bonn for his outstanding showing against medi bayreuth. PJC collected 20 points on 6-of-10 shots and 8-of-8 free throws, 5 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals, 2 blocks and 0 turnovers for an efficiency of 34.
German Top Five of the Week
F: Justus Hollatz, Hamburg Towers
Hollatz was outstanding at times in Hamburg’s loss to MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg as he collected 10 points, 1 rebound, 11 assists and 3 steals.
G: David Krämer, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Krämer had two strong games for Braunschweig - albeit both losses. He picked up 13 points with 3 three-pointers, 1 rebound and 1 assist against ALBA BERLIN in Round 23 and followed that with 11 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 block against FRAPORT SKYLINERS.
G: Kostja Mushidi, SYNTAINICS MBC
Mushidi continues to excel this season for MBC as he tallied 11 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 3 blocks in a Round 20 makeup game against JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers and then poured in 18 points with 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal against Brose Bamberg.
F: Felix Koch, JobStairs GIESSEN 46ers
Koch drained 4 three-pointers in scoring 14 points to go with 5 rebounds and 1 assists against SYNTAINICS MBC.
C: Christian Sengfelder, Brose Bamberg
Sengfelder played a big role in Bamberg’s win over SYNTAINICS MBC with 15 points and 8 rebounds - five of them from the offensive glass.
Young Guns
Lornenz Brenneke, 22, PF, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Brenneke continues to play a strong role for Frankfurt as he picked up 9 points on 4-of-6 shooting (1/1 threes), 1 rebound and 1 steal in 23:52 minutes against s.Oliver Würzburg in Round 18. In Frankfurt’s win over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig, Brenneke scored 9 points on 2-of-2 shooting and 5-of-6 free throws to go with 2 rebounds and 1 steal.
Luc van Slooten, 19, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
van Slooten scored 11 points on 4-of-7 shots (3/5 threes) and also had 4 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in 21:36 minutes against ALBA BERLIN in Round 23. Against FRAPORT SKYLINERS, the 19-year-old had 9 points on 2-of-7 shooting (2/6 threes) and 2-of-3 free throws, 3 rebounds and 2 steals in 21:30 minutes.
Lukas Herzog, 20, SG, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Herzog came up with a number of big baskets against Hamburg Towers as he scored 8 points on 4-of-6 shots (0/2 threes) and had 1 assist.
Tischlers Watch
The Tischler twins Brandon and Nicholas could not keep Basketball Löwen Braunschweig from losing two games. Brandon started both games against ALBA BERLIN and FRAPORT SKYLINERS. He played 21:15 in the Round 23 makeup against Berlin and had 9 points on 4-of-5 shooting (1/1 threes), 1 rebound and 1 block. He collected 3 points on 1-of-3 shooting (1/2 threes), 7 rebounds and 1 assist in 23:08 minutes in the Frankfurt game. Nicholas picked up 4 points on 2-of-5 shots (0/1 threes), 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 21:35 minutes against Berlin and had 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting (0/1 threes) and 2 rebounds in 18:15 minutes versus Frankfurt.
Germans Abroad
We are heading back to Netherlands to check in on 24-year-old Tibor Taras who continues to excel for Apollo Amsterdam in his first season abroad. The shooting guard, who played in the Cologne and Bamberg youth systems, scored 20 points with 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in his most recent game. Taras has scored 20 or more points four times this season and is averaging 14.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals in 22 minutes per game.
