The playoffs picture is taking more form as FC Bayern Munich became the third team to officially reach the post-season; and ALBA BERLIN and Telekom Baskets Bonn will have home court advantage in the first round. FRAPORT SKYLINERS brought back a big name from their past to hopefully avoid relegation as they signed Jordan Theodore until the end of the season. EWE Baskets Oldenburg meanwhile made headlines as they extended their contract with star guard DeWayne Russell until 2025.
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:
Bayern secure spot in playoffs, Würzburg held under 50 points again
FC Bayern Munich secured their spot in the playoffs as they beat Würzburg Baskets 67-49 on the road for their seventh straight win - and the second consecutive game Würzburg failed to score 50 points. Bayern gave up just 9 points in the second quarter to take a 19-point halftime lead. The guests scored just 7 points in the third quarter but still rolled to a 21-6 record and Würzburg lost a second game this week for a 14-14 record. Bayern ruled the rebounds 41-23 including 15 offensive rebounds and stopped Würzburg’s offense for just 36.0 percent shooting. Niels Giffey came off the Bayern bench to score a team-high 13 points and Zylan Cheatham added 13 points and 10 rebounds. The Bayern starting five totalled just 25 points. O’Showen Williams was the only Würzburg player in double figures with 13 points.
Bayern down Ulm on road in Round 18 makeup for sixth straight win
FC Bayern Munich continue to solidify their form in the easyCredit BBL as they defeated ratiopharm ulm 77-58 in a Round 18 makeup game for their sixth straight win. Bayern gained control in the second quarter and Ulm were never within single digits in the final frame. Bayern improved to 20-6 and Ulm fell to 14-12 after having won four of five games. Bayern dominated the glass 39-28 with a 13-0 advantage in second chance points and held Ulm to just 36.2 percent shooting for the game. Isaac Bonga came off the bench to lead the team in scoring with 18 points and a career-high 14 rebounds, and Ognjen Jaramaz was the only other player in double figures with 11 points. The Bayern starters combined for just 27 points. Yago dos Santos scored 11 points for Ulm and Juan Nunez added 10 points in a losing effort.
Bonn lock up home court in first round, triples too much for Oldenburg
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Telekom Baskets Bonn extended their winning streak to 12 games as they shot their way past EWE Baskets Oldenburg 87-76 on the road. Bonn would later in the weekend action be secured home court advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Neither side could really pull away until Bonn mounted a 15-1 fourth quarter run to move to 25-2 and hand Oldenburg a third loss in a row for a 16-10 record. Bonn shot 60.0 percent on 2-pointers and made 13 three-pointers. Karsten Tadda and Sebastian Herrera combined for 10 of those three-pointers and each had 18 points and TJ Shorts tallied 13 points, 4 rebounds and 8 assists for the winning side. Trey Drechsel tallied 22 points and 6 rebounds for Oldenburg, who played without the injured DeWayne Russell.
Oldenburg, Russell stay together until 2025
EWE Baskets Oldenburg have locked up a big piece of their current and future success as they signed star guard DeWayne Russell to a contract extension until 2025. Russell arrived in Oldenburg last summer on a two-year deal after playing with Treviso in Italy.
Berlin too much in second half for Göttingen, secure home court in first round
ALBA BERLIN secured home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs as they proved too strong for BG Göttingen in a 91-78 home victory. Berlin wasted an 11-point first quarter lead and trailed by 1 point midway through the third quarter before ripping off a 17-2 run to move to 25-2 after seven straight wins and Göttingen fell to 14-11. Berlin lost only 10 turnovers and made 23-of-27 free throws compared to 8-of-10 from the foul line for Göttingen. Jonas Mattisseck and Johannes Thiemann both scored 14 points to lead Berlin and Louis Olinde had 10 points and 6 rebounds. Mark Smith was top scorer for Göttingen with 17 points and 8 rebounds and Harald Frey totalled 14 points and 7 assists.
Berlin defense shuts down Würzburg in Round 34 game
ALBA BERLIN used an impressive defensive performance in notching a 76-47 home victory in a Round 34 game. Berlin allowed just 9 points in each of the first two quarters in cruising to a sixth straight win and 24-2 record and Würzburg’s three-game winning streak ended for a 14-13 mark. The hosts committed 20 turnovers but held Würzburg to 27.5 percent shooting for the game. Yovel Zoosman paced Berlin with 17 points and 6 rebounds off the bench and Christ Koumadje added 15 points and 8 rebounds. Cameron Hunt scored 12 points as Würzburg’s leading scorer.
Returning star Theodore, sharpshooters give Frankfurt massive win
FRAPORT SKYLINERS still see the light in the fight against relegation after they bombarded ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES 99-77 on the road. Frankfurt could not pull away until the final 13 minutes of the third quarter with a 20-2 run to lead by 23 points and move to 7-20 - one victory behind Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Rostock suffered a setback in their fight for the playoffs for a 13-14 record. Frankfurt totalled 20 three-pointers and made only 14 two-pointers. Playing his first game for Skyliners in 7 years, Jordan Theodore showed why he’s a star with 26 points and 8 assists to lead Frankfurt with Laurynas Beliauskas scoring 16 points and Isaiah Washington adding 14 points. JeQuan Lewis picked up 20 points and 5 assists for Rostock.
Frankfurt bring back Jordan Theodore after 7 years
FRAPORT SKYLINERS hope a big name from the past will help them avoid relegation as they signed Jordan Theodore for the rest of the season. The 33-year-old starred for Frankfurt back in 2016 and helped the club win the FIBA Europe Cup.
Krämer carries Braunschweig to critical home win over Bayreuth
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig pushed medi bayreuth a good step towards relegation as they grabbed a critical 101-89 home victory. Braunschweig pulled away in the third quarter and put the game away with an 18-2 run in the fourth for an 8-19 record and Bayreuth fell to 5-22. Braunschweig out-scored Bayreuth 50-18 in the paint and out-rebounded the guests 32-20 with 13 offensive rebounds. David Krämer supplied 4 three-pointers and 23 points and Jilson Bango chipped in 16 points and 8 rebounds off the bench for the winners. Brandon Childress (23 points), Ahmed Hill (21) and Otis Livingston (18) combined for 62 points in the loss.
Chemnitz finally snap losing skid, but is it too late for playoffs
NINERS Chemnitz finally snapped their losing streak at eight games by knocking off SYNTAINICS MBC 76-72 on the road, but it may be too late to still reach the playoffs. The hosts raced ahead to a 14-point first quarter lead but Chemnitz took the second quarter 27-13 and led by 15 points in the third quarter en route to the win. The victory gave Chemnitz an 11-15 record - 3 wins behind the last playoffs spot with 2 games in hand - and SYNTAINICS MBC have dropped six in a row for a 9-18 mark. Chemnitz’s reserves scored 39 points to just 12 for the guests. Kevin Yebo paced Chemnitz with 22 points, Mindaugas Susinskas scored 12 points and both Malik Osbourne and Wes Clark chipped in 10 points in the win. Kris Clyburn was everywhere in the loss with 31 points, 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals but none of the other Wolfpack players scored in double figures.
Ludwigsburg return to win column, get past Crailsheim
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg returned to the win column with an 82-77 victory over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim to snap a four-game losing streak. Crailsheim led for most of the first half and then watched a 19-0 run give Ludwigsburg a 17-point third quarter lead. Crailsheim were within 1 point with just over 2 minutes left but gave up the next 7 points and Ludwigsburg improved to 16-11 and Crailsheim sunk to 10-18. Ludwigsburg committed only 7 turnovers to help make up shooting just 17.1 percent from long range. Prentiss Hubb paced Ludwigsburg with 21 points and 5 assists, Yorman Polas Bartolo had 13 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists and Eddy Edigin scored 11 points in the win. Jaren Lewis netted 16 points in a losing effort.
Maxhuni brings it home in Crailsheim Round 22 win over Bayreuth
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim kept medi bayreuth from winning their first road game of the season with a 78-73 home win in a Round 22 makeup game thanks to a strong finish by Edon Maxhuni. Bayreuth led most of the game and were ahead by 11 points when Crailsheim opened the fourth quarter with a 16-1 run to pull ahead. Bayreuth did reclaim the lead but Maxhuni scored 8 points including 6-of-6 free throws in the final 40 seconds. Crailsheim are 10-17 after two wins in a row and Bayreuth fell to 5-21 after having their two-game win streak end. Bayreuth shot just 39.1 percent for the game. Maxhuni was outstanding with 23 points and 6 assists and Jaren Lewis added 12 points in the win. Brandon Childress poured in 26 points in the loss.
Ulm offense runs white-hot in blowout of Hamburg
ratiopharm ulm showed how explosive their offense can be with a 112-78 blowout of Veolia Towers Hamburg at home in a showdown of teams entering the 7DAYS EuroCup playoffs. Ulm lost a 12-point first quarter lead and then finished the first half on a 26-5 run to roll to their fifth win in the last seven games for a 15-12 record and Hamburg moved to 10-18. Ulm were unstoppable on offense, shooting 66.7 percent for the game including 17-of-33 (51.5 percent) from long range and a white-hot 83.3 percent on 2-pointers. Fedor Zugic drained 6 three-pointers in scoring 25 points off the bench while Bruno Caboclo scored 21 points with 8 rebounds and Yago dos Santos contributed 20 points, 6 rebounds and 8 assists. Ryan Taylor led Hamburg with 19 points and Lukas Meisner picked up 15 points but the rest of the starters combined for just 16 points.
Hamburg Round 33 road win gives Göttingen setback in playoffs chase
Veolia Towers Hamburg grabbed another important victory in their fight to avoid relegation as they defeated BG Göttingen 98-71 on the road in a Round 33 game. Hamburg took over the game with a 29-13 second quarter and eased to their second win in three games for a 10-17 record. Göttingen suffered their second straight setback for a 14-10 mark. Hamburg committed only 10 turnovers and shot 66.0 percent from the field and 55.6 percent on three-pointers. Ziga Samar notched a double-double of 19 points and 12 assists for the winners with Ryan Taylor scoring 16 points off the bench. Harald Frey netted 20 points with 6 assists for Göttingen and Mark Smith had 19 points and 6 rebounds.
Heidelberg win shootout with Bamberg, can still dream playoffs
MLP Academics Heidelberg would be a major surprise to reach the playoffs but their 109-100 home win over Brose Bamberg keeps them within striking distance of the post-season. The showdown was tight for the first 35 minutes and then Heidelberg blew the game open with a 13-0 run. That gave the hosts an 11-16 run after three wins in a row with Bamberg dropping a third consecutive to sink to 13-15 - one victory behind a playoffs spot. Both teams were strong offensively with Heidelberg making 14 three-pointers to just 8 for Bamberg. Eric Washington flirted with a triple-double with 26 points, 8 rebounds and 7 assists for the winners with Max Ugrai scoring 25 points and Elias Lasisi picking up 23 points. Patrick Miller’s 19 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists paced six Bamberg players in double figures, including Christian Sengfelder’s 13 points and 7 rebounds.
Player of the Week
The top showing in Round 27 belonged to Kris Clyburn of SYNTAINICS MBC, albeit in a loss as he could not keep the team from losing to NINERS Chemnitz. Clyburn scored 31 points and 12-of-22 shots and 4-of-4 free throws to go with 12 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals for an efficiency of 34.
German Top Five of the Week
G: David Krämer, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Krämer is doing all he can to keep Braunschweig in the league and the guard hit 4 three-pointers in scoring 23 points to go with 5 rebounds in a big win over medi bayreuth.
G: Karsten Tadda, Telekom Baskets Bonn
Tadda had a big game against his former team as he knocked down 4 three-pointers and had 18 points and 1 rebound in a win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
G: Isaac Bonga, FC Bayern Munich
Bonga had a massive game against ratiopharm ulm, collecting 18 points, a career high 14 rebounds plus 1 steal and 2 blocks in the Round 18 matchup. He followed that with a helpful 4 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists against Würzburg Baskets.
F: Max Ugrai, MLP Academics Heidelberg
Ugrai celebrated his 200th game in the easyCredit Bbl by tying his career high of 25 points off the bench against Brose Bamberg. He also had 6 rebounds and 3 assists.
F: Kevin Yebo, NINERS Chemnitz
Yebo continued his excellent season as he tallied 21 points, 5 rebounds and 1 steal against SYNTAINICS MBC.
Young Guns
Julius Böhmer, 21, PG, Würzburg Baskets
Böhmer started both games against ALBA BERLIN and FC Bayern Munich. In the Round 34 game against Berlin, he scored 3 points on 1-of-5 shooting (1/3 threes) to go with 1 rebound and 1 assist in 18:25 minutes. Böhmer picked up 6 points on 2-of-6 shooting (1/3 threes), 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 26:47 minutes against Bayern.
Len Schoormann, 20, PG, Veolia Towers Hamburg
Schoormann tallied 2 points on 1-of-shooting (0/1 threes) and 1 assist in 11:57 minutes against BG Göttingen in Round 33. He followed that with a strong 12 points on 4-of-7 shooting (3/4 threes) and 1-of-3 free throws, 1 rebound, 3 assists and 1 steal in 15:52 minutes against ratiopharm ulm.
Luc van Slooten, 20, SF, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Van Slooten had a fine game against medi bayreuth with 5 points on 2-of-3 shooting (1/2 threes), 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in 13:42 minutes.
Germans Abroad
Congratulations to Dirk Nowitzki on being accepted into the Naismith Hall of Fame, where he will be enshrined this summer. He is the first German player to receive this honor. And well deserved.
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Nachberichte
Sicher in den Playoffs, Kurs auf dritten Platz: FC Bayern mit 67:49-Sieg - Würzburg muss als Achter weiter bangen
Nachberichte
Berlin sichert sich vorzeitig Heimrecht in den Playoffs: 91:78 – Heimsieg gegen die BG Göttingen
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