There was a lot of movement in the standings this week as ALBA BERLIN extended their winning streak to 12 games to jump to second place right on the heels of FC Bayern Munich as the league leaders and NINERS Chemnitz both suffered surprising losses. Würzburg Baskets also lost and watched reigning champions ratiopharm ulm move past them into fourth place. The relegation battle also saw plenty of intrigue as ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES, BG Göttingen, MLP Academics Heidelberg and HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim all won their games.
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:
Heidelberg shock Bayern to continue hot roll
MLP Academics Heidelberg seem poised to save their season as they shocked FC Bayern Munich 89-82 at home for a crucial win in their fight against relegation. The game was close throughout with six points being the biggest lead until Heidelberg went up by eight points early in the fourth quarter. Bayern regained the lead but watched Heidelberg reel off a 15-2 run to win the game. Heidelberg have now won five of their last seven games - and their last four at home - for an 8-21 record while Bayern fell to 23-5 after seeing their five-game win streak end. Heidelberg committed only 5 turnovers and made 26-of-37 free throws compared to 16-of-20 for Bayern. Justin Jaworski scored 8 of his 21 points in the decisive run and Jeffrey Carroll also scored 21 points while Isaiah Whaley added 10 points and 9 rebounds. Elias Harris paced Bayern with a season-high 19 points and Carsen Edwards and Leandro Bolmaro both had 11 points in the losing effort.
Big relegation fight win in OT for Göttingen, Chemnitz drop to third place
BG Göttingen earned a massive victory in their fight against relegation with a 100-99 overtime win over NINERS Chemnitz, who dropped to third place in the standings. Chemnitz used a 21-0 run spanning the first two quarters to open a 24-point lead. The lead was still 15 points with 8 minutes to go when Göttingen started their comeback. The hosts went on a 19-6 run to pull within 2 points with 3 minutes to go. Karlins Silins added a layup with 15 seconds before Umoja Gibson sent the game to overtime with two free throws with 6 seconds on the clock. In the extra session, Chemnitz failed to score on their final five possessions and Silins nailed the game-winning three-pointer with 46 seconds remaining. Göttingen had lost five of their last six games but moved to 9-20 and Chemnitz fell to 23-6 after their three-game winning streak was snapped. Göttingen shot only 41.6 percent for the game but they made 41.9 percent from long range and converted 23-of-24 free throws compared to just 14-of-24 foul shots for Chemnitz. Gibson and Bodie Hume both scored 21 points to lead Göttingen with David DeJulius picking up 18 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and Silins chipping in 18 points and 9 rebounds. Wesley van Beck scored 24 points and Jeff Garrett had 18 points in the loss.
Berlin jump to second place after beating Bamberg for 12th straight win
Don’t look now but ALBA BERLIN are in second place in the standings after knocking off Bamberg Baskets 98-92 at home for their 12th straight victory. Berlin were playing without the injured Matteo Spagnolo, Matt Thomas, Gabriele Procida, Louis Olinde, Johannes Thiemann and Yanni Wetzell as well as the suspended Khalifa Koumadji. Bamberg led by nine points in the second quarter but trailed later in the frame and were down by 11 points in the third quarter. Berlin pulled away by 18 points early in the fourth quarter to improve to 22-5 - just one victory behind leaders FC Bayern Munich with a game in hand plus the two match-ups with Bayern still to come. Bamberg have lost three of their last four for a 12-17 mark and are now two wins behind the final Play-Ins spot. Berlin made 23-of-27 free throws compared to just 11-of-15 for Bamberg. Tim Schneider led the way with a career-high 25 points and 9 rebounds, Kresimir Nikic scored a career-high 18 points with 7 rebounds and Sterling Brown and Martin Hermannsson both scored 11 points and combined for 4 rebounds, 15 assists and 4 steals. Zach Copeland had 25 points as Bamberg’s leading scorer.
Berlin nearly waste 20-point lead, fend off Hamburg for 11th straight win
ALBA BERLIN nearly wasted a 20-point lead but ended up fending off Veolia Towers Hamburg 84-76 in a Round 13 make-up game to extend their winning streak to 11 games. Berlin gave up 5 points the first quarter and led by 11 points after 10 minutes and the lead was 18 points at halftime. The gap was as many as 20 points but Hamburg refused to lay down at home and trimmed the deficit to two points with 5 minutes to go. Berlin put the game away with a 9-2 spurt to grab the win to improve to 21-5 while Hamburg dropped their fourth straight to fall to 13-15. Hamburg shot just 30.6 percent from the field including just 17.7 percent from long range. Tim Schneider led Berlin with 20 points and 5 rebounds while Kresimir Nikic scored 15 points and Jonas Mattisseck chipped in 12 points. Aleksander Dziewa scored 22 points and Mark Hughes added 16 points the loss.
Rostock continue strong run, beat Würzburg on road
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES continue to be resilient in their fight against relegation as they pulled a surprise at Würzburg Baskets 95-86 on the road. Würzburg opened a 10-point lead in the first quarter but trailed by seven points midway through the second period. The game was tight the rest of the way and Rostock finished the game with an 8-1 spurt to win their second game in the last three for an 8-20 record. Würzburg have dropped two in a row and fell to 20-9 - allowing ratiopharm ulm to pass them into fourth place and the final spot for home court advantage in the playoffs. Rostock held Würzburg to just 39.1 percent shooting for the game, including 41.0 percent on two-pointers, and the road side shot 58.3 percent for the game and 66.7 percent on two-pointers. Derrick Alston was Rostock’s leading scorer with 25 points, Tyler Nelson had 20 points and 5 assists and Eric Lockett added 14 points and 9 rebounds. Otis Livingstone tallied 29 points, 5 assists and 4 steals, Isaiah Washington scored 17 points and Owen Klassen registered his 20th double-double in league history with 13 points and 13 rebounds.
Ulm blow past Wolves for fifth straight win, jump to fourth place
Reigning champions ratiopharm ulm remained one of the hottest teams in the league as they rolled past SYNTAINICS MBC 106-79 at home for their fifth straight win to overtake Würzburg Baskets for fourth place in the league. Ulm blew the game open with a 20-4 run to finish the second quarter and improved to 20-9 while the Wolves have lost five straight to fall deep into the relegation right with an 8-21 record. Ulm shot 69.8 percent on two-pointers and out-scored the guests 56-32 in the paint with a 20-8 advantage in second chance points. Robin Christen scored 14 points with 7 rebounds, Justinian Jessup had 14 points and Pacome Dadiet added 11 points and 8 rebounds in the win. Chris-Ebou Ndow paced the guests with 22 points and Johnathan Stove scored 20 points.
Crailsheim surprise Bonn, give themselves more hope in relegation fight
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim gave themselves more hope in the fight against relegation as they surprised Telekom Baskets Bonn 98-89 at home. Crailsheim never trailed after the opening minutes and the lead was 10 points for much of the middle two quarters. The hosts put the game away with a 17-4 surge spanning the final two frames for a 7-22 record with two wins in the last three games. Bonn fell to 17-12 after a second loss in three games. Crailsheim shot 42.9 percent on three-pointers and held Bonn to just 32.3 percent. James Murray-Boyles came off the Crailsheim bench for 29 points and 6 rebounds, Keandre Cook added 19 points and 5 assists, Fabian Bleck had 12 points and 7 rebounds and Alexey Borges picked up 8 points and 10 assists. Glynn Watson was outstanding for Bonn but his 25 points, 11 assists and 6 steals were not enough as the starting five totaled just 37 points.
Oldenburg continue march up the standings after fourth straight win
EWE Baskets Oldenburg continued their march up the standings as they defeated Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 87-66 for their fourth straight victory. Neither team could open a significant lead until Oldenburg took over after the break with a 26-16 third quarter. The hosts moved to 15-14 and Braunschweig lost more ground on the Play-Ins spots with their sixth loss in the last seven games for a 12-17 record. Oldenburg committed only 12 turnovers and out-rebounded Braunschweig 44-30 for a 17-4 advantage in second chance points. Braunschweig also made just 20.0 percent from long range. Geno Crandall came off the bench for 23 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 3 steals, Ebuka Izundu had 14 points and Artur Konontsuk tallied 11 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists. Jilson Bango was Braunschweig’s top scorer with 18 points and Barra Njie had 12 points, 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
Late run carries Vechta past Tübingen on road,
RASTA Vechta picked up a big road victory in their fight for a direct spot in the playoffs as they beat Tigers Tübingen 88-77 on the road. Vechta gave away an 11 point first quarter lead and were down by 9 points midway through the second quarter. The game was tight the rest of the way until the guests put the game away with a 14-2 run. Vechta snapped a three-game losing streak for an 18-11 record, and Tübingen lost a sixth straight for a 6-23 mark. Vechta held Tübingen to just 39.1 percent shooting including 24.1 percent on three-pointers while making 29-of-38 free throws compared to 16-of-17 for the hosts. Tommy Kuhse tallied 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, Wes Iwundu scored 20 points and Tanner Groves chipped in 12 points and 7 rebounds. Jhivvan Jackson collected 26 points and 8 assists and Mateo Seric added 16 points and 7 rebounds in a losing effort.
Hamburg snap losing skid, Ludwigsburg lose ground on direct playoffs spot
Veolia Towers Hamburg earned an important win in their fight to reach the Play-Ins as they defeated MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 89-84 at home to snap a four-game losing skid. Ludwigsburg raced away to a 12-point lead in the first quarter but trailed late in the first half. The game remained close until Hamburg took a 10-point advantage in the fourth quarter. Hamburg improved their record to 14-15 and Ludwigsburg fell to 17-12 with their third loss in the last four games. Hamburg shot 47.4 percent on three-pointers and made 24-of-30 free throws compared to 13-of-19 from the foul line for Ludwigsburg. Will Christmas led all scorers with 28 points while Brae Ivey came off the Hamburg bench for 15 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals and VJ King added 14 points as a reserve. Desure Buie paced Ludwigsburg with 24 points and Jayvon Graves added 13 points in the loss.
Player of the Week
The Player of the Week for Round 29 is Glynn Watson of Telekom Baskets Bonn as the playmaker came off the bench and collected 25 points on 9-of-17 shots and 4-of-4 free throws, 2 rebounds, 11 assists and 6 steals for an efficiency of 35 against HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Len Schoormann, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Schoormann scored 11 points with 2 three-pointers and grabbed 1 rebound in a win over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
F: Fabian Bleck, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Bleck collected 12 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in the team’s win over Telekom Baskets Bonn.
F: Robin Christen, ratiopharm ulm
Christen picked up 14 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists against SYNTAINICS MBC.
F: Tim Schneider, ALBA BERLIN
What a week for Schneider as he had 20 points with 4 three-pointers, 5 rebounds and 1 assist in a Round 13 win over Veolia Towers Hamburg. He followed that with a career high 25 points to go with 9 rebounds and 1 steal against Bamberg Baskets.
F: Elias Harris, FC Bayern Munich
Harris scored a season-high 19 points and added 3 rebounds and 2 assists but they were not enough in a loss to MLP Academics Heidelberg.
Young Guns
Johann Grünloh, 18, C, RASTA Vechta
Grünloh started and played 11:24 minutes against Tigers Tübingen and scored 4 points on 2-of-2 shots to go with 2 rebounds.
Zach Ensminger, 22, PG, BG Göttingen
Ensminger played a major role in Göttingen beating NINERS Chemnitz with 14 points on 3-of-6 shots (1/2 threes) and 7-of-7 free throws, 3 rebounds and 1 assist in 21:33 minutes.
Elias Rapieque, 20, SF, ALBA BERLIN
Rapieque took advantage of a rash of injuries and played 11:57 minutes against Veolia Towers Hamburg with 1 rebound and 1 assist in Round 17. He then picked up 2 points on 1-of-4 shots (0/1 threes), 2 rebounds and 1 assist in 12:48 minutes against Bamberg Baskets.
Germans Abroad
Christian Skaldanowski came up in the FC Bayern Munich system but he moved to Spain for this season and the 2004-born forward has been playing well. Skaldanowski appeared in three LEB Gold second division games with Gipuzkoa and has averaged 15.1 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 steals in the EBA fourth division with Easo. Skaldanowski three times has scored 20+ points and had 10 games with double-digit rebounds.
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