The main headlines of the second week of the 2022-23 easyCredit BBL season belonged to the “smaller” clubs, topped off by ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES winning their first-ever game in the league. Eric Washington meanwhile did his best Tracy McGrady impression as he scored 14 points in the final 2 minutes as MLP Academics Heidelberg beat FRAPORT SKYLINERS. And SYNTAINICS MBC won a double-overtime thriller over Würzburg Baskets.
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:
Rostock rally to beat Ulm for historic first-ever win
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES gave their fans another magical memory as they won their first-ever easyCredit BBL game in fairytale fashion, coming back from 11 points down in the final 4 minutes to beat ratiopharm ulm 85-80 at home. The league debutants trailed 79-68 with 3:19 minutes to play when Nijal Pearson and Tyler Nelson both hit three-pointers in a 17-1 run to finish the game. JeQuan Lewis scored 17 points as all five Rostock starters scored in double figures at the StadtHalle Rostock.
Washington scores 14 in final 2 minutes plus game-winner for Heidelberg
MLP Academics Heidelberg rallied from 21 points down for their first victory of the season as they won 93-90 at home over FRAPORT SKYLINERS thanks to an unbelievable finish by Eric Washington. The guard scored 14 points - including four three-pointers - in the final 1:47 minutes including a game-wining triple at the buzzer. Washington finished with 26 points for Heidelberg, who rallied back from 21 points down in the third quarter to hand Joonas Iisalo his first win as head coach for a 1-1 record and Frankfurt are 0-3.
SYNTAINICS MBC prevail in double-OT over Würzburg after two late threes
The 2022-23 season saw its first double-overtime thriller as SYNTAINICS MBC went back and forth in a 117-113 victory at Würzburg Baskets - twice hitting big three-pointers to force overtimes for a 1-1 record. The guests had control of the game with a 16-point lead in the second quarter, but Würzburg rallied back and the game saw 18 lead changes and 11 ties. Kris Clyburn nailed a three-pointer with 0.7 seconds left for SYNTAINICS MBC to make it 88-88 and send the game to overtime. Lamont Jones would then bank in a three-pointer at the buzzer for SYTAINICS MBC as the teams went to a second overtime tied at 101-101. Jones would finish with 30 points while Clyburn and Kostja Mushidi both had 16 points. Cameron Hunt poured in 32 points for Würzburg in the loss to fall to 1-2.
Berlin, Bayern survive challenges, remain perfect at 3-0
The top two contenders for the title - ALBA BERLIN and FC Bayern Munich - both survived tough challenges but improved to 3-0 two weeks into the season. Reigning champions Berlin won a tough test at EWE Baskets Oldenburg 89-81 thanks to 18 points each from German FIBA EuroBasket 2022 bronze medal winners Maodo Lo and Johannes Thiemann. Bayern shrugged off three losses to NINERS Chemnitz last season and played tough defense in the second half in winning 88-74 at home.
Bonn, Göttingen, Ludwigsburg all move to 2-0
There are three teams who have a 2-0 record after two weeks - one of them a bit of a surprise. Telekom Baskets Bonn used a 19-2 run into the third quarter to knock off Brose Bamberg 84-76 at home for a second win in two games.
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg are also 2-0 after reversing a 14-point deficit in the second quarter to win 80-66 at Basketball Löwen Braunschweig with a 14-0 surge in the final 6 minutes. The other team at 2-0 is BG Göttingen who registered two road victories this week - beating ratiopharm ulm 93-84 thanks to a near triple-double of 28 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists from Mark Smith and fending off HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 81-77 as Harald Frey poured in 25 points.
Bamberg, Ulm with six combined losses in six games
Two of the traditional strongholds of the league have suffered slow starts to their season as Brose Bamberg and ratiopharm ulm both have 0-3 records two weeks into the season. Bamberg could not figure out a way to win at Telekom Baskets Bonn 84-76 and Ulm watched as ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES made history with their first-ever win in their first-ever game 85-80.
Korner guides Hamburg to win in return to long-time team Bayreuth
Veolia Hamburg Towers gave their head coach Raoul Korner a sweet return to his former stomping grounds with a 95-79 victory over his ex-team medi bayreuth. Korner saw the German duo of Len Schoormann and Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann combine for 31 points off the bench as he beat the team he had coached for six years - against the new Bayreuth head coach Lars Masell, who was Korner’s assistant for eight years in Braunschweig and Bayreuth.
Chemnitz, Göttingen, Ludwigsburg all part ways with players
The early season roster shuffling continues as NINERS Chemnitz, BG Göttingen and MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg all saw players leave their teams this week. Matt Mooney departed from Chemnitz before their domestic season opener as the shooting guard left to join Besiktas Istanbul. Göttingen meanwhile agreed with Taze Moore to terminate their contract and Ludwigsburg parted ways with Billy Garrett Jr., who had just been signed with the club in August.
Player(s) of the Week
There were two players with the highest efficiency of 31 to share the Player of the Week honor. Augustine Rubit scored 22 points on 6-of-8 from the field and 9-of-11 free throws to go with 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in FC Bayern Munich’s win over NINERS Chemnitz. Cameron Hunt of Würzburg Baskets matched the 31 efficiency with 32 points on 10-of-20 shots and 9-of-10 free throws as well as 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 4 steals in the double-overtime loss to SYNTAINICS MBC.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Nelson Weidemann, NINERS Chemnitz
Weidemann had a strong showing in Chemnitz’s first game of the season with 13 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists and 1 steal against FC Bayern Munich, who loaned him to Chemnitz.
G: Maodo Lo, ALBA BERLIN
Lo was outstanding in Berlin’s win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg with 18 points including 3 three-pointers, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal.
G: Joshua Obiesie, FRAPORT SKYLINERS
Obiesie continued his excellent start the season with 14 points, 2 rebounds, 6 assists and 1 steal albeit in a heartbreaking loss to MLP Academics Heidelberg.
F: Till Pape, BG Göttingen
Pape had a fantastic week in two road victories for Göttingen as the 24-year-old had 12 points, 4 rebounds and 1 assist against his former team ratiopharm ulm and followed that with 16 points and 3 rebounds against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
C: Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, Veolia Hamburg Towers
WoBo came off the bench and collected 15 points, 6 rebounds and 1 steal in a win over medi bayreuth.
Young Guns
Len Schoormann, 20, PG, Veolia Hamburg Towers
Schoormann had another outstanding outing for Hamburg as he nailed 4-of-4 three-pointers in scoring a team high 16 points to go with 1 assist and 1 steal against medi bayreuth.
Zach Ensminger, 21, PG, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Ensminger picked up 4 points on 1-of-2 shots and 2-of-2 free throws plus 2 steals in 8:19 minutes against Brose Bamberg.
Sananda Fru, 20, PF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Fru scored 5 points on 2-of-5 shots including 1-of-3 threes along with 1 assist in 19:49 minutes against MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg.
Germans Abroad
Former ALBA BERLIN talent Ferdinand Zylka is shining early in his first season outside of Germany with Belgian side Circus Brussels Basketball. The 24-year-old guard, who played last season with PS Karlsruhe Lions in the ProA, opened the BNXT League (a collective league of Belgian and Netherlands teams) with 22 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists against Mechelen and followed that with 24 points, 2 rebounds and 1 assist versus Belfius Mons. Zylka drained 5 three-pointers against Belfius Mons.
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