It will all come down to the final week of the Regular Season as the Round 31-32 week gave us big stories but few final decisions. FC Bayern Munich delivered a massive statement week with wins over ratiopharm ulm and ALBA Berlin while Tommy Kuhse guided RASTA Vechta to two wins. But almost everything is still open - including who has home court advantage for how long in the playoffs; who even qualifies directly to the playoffs; who will grab the final spot in the Play-Ins; and which two of ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES, MLP Academics Heidelberg, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim and Tigers Tübingen will be relegated.
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:
State of each team going into the final week of the Regular Season
Last week saw two rounds of games and this week will see two more rounds. Instead of reviewing every game, we looked at the state of each of the 18 teams including how they played last week and what stands ahead for Rounds 33 and 34 - according to the current league standings.
Bayern with statement week: Upending Ulm and bashing Berlin
FC Bayern Munich had a clear statement week as they defeated two of the other top title contenders to all but lock up home court advantage throughout the playoffs. Bayern used a 24-5 run spanning the final two quarters to grab an 81-74 road victory over reigning league champs ratiopharm ulm. Carsen Edwards scored 17 points and Nick Weiler-Babb collected 15 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. In a showdown of the top two teams in the league, Bayern then bashed ALBA BERLIN 77-53 at home, giving up only 5 points in the second quarter. Edwards and Niklas Wimberg were the only two players in double figures with 11 points as Bayern improved to 26-5 while Berlin are second at 24-7. The two teams still face off in the final week but Bayern hold the two-game lead and Berlin would likely have to win by 25 points to pull ahead of Bayern. The league leaders finish the season at MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg and Berlin before hosting ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES.
Berlin blown out by Bayern after fending off Heidelberg, still in second place
ALBA BERLIN suffered a serious blow to their hopes of home court advantage throughout the playoffs as they were delivered a serious loss by league leaders FC Bayern Munich but still are second in the standings. Berlin started the double-rounder with a 96-89 win over MLP Academics Heidelberg. Johannes Thiemann scored 21 points in his first game in more than a month as Berlin needed a big fourth quarter run to pull away. In the first of two showdowns against Bayern in a span of five days, Berlin managed just 5 points in the second quarter in falling 77-53 for a 24-7 record - two wins behind Bayern. Matt Thomas had 12 points in the loss. Berlin have three games in the final week, hosting Telekom Baskets Bonn before the Round 10 makeup game at home against Bayern and closing the season at HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim.
Chemnitz cling onto third place after split
NINERS Chemnitz are clinging onto third place in the league after they split two games in the penultimate week of the regular season. Chemnitz could not challenge RASTA Vechta in losing 91-83 at home to see their losing streak reach three games despite Kevin Yebo’s 23 points. Chemnitz finally returned to the win column though as they beat Veolia Towers Hamburg 85-79 on the road. Wes van Beck paced Chemnitz with 25 points and Kevin Yebo scored 18 points. Chemnitz are not yet secured a top-four spot with a 24-8 record - one win more than Würzburg Baskets and two more than ratiopharm ulm. Yebo and co. will close out the season with home games against Basketball Löwen Braunschweig and Würzburg.
Seljaas help Würzburg to two wins, lock up first playoffs since 2016
Würzburg Baskets locked up their first playoffs spot since 2016 as they grabbed two victories and defended their spot for home court advantage. Zac Seljaas poured in 20 points to lead six players in double figures in a 107-83 victory at home over SYNTAINICS MBC. Würzburg sealed the win with a 31-15 third quarter. Würzburg made it two for two for the week as they beat Telekom Baskets Bonn 100-91 on the road. Otis Livingston scored 24 points, Seljaas had 19 points and Isaiah Washington added 18 points and 8 assists as all five starters scored in double figures. Würzburg have a 23-9 record and finish the season at home versus MLP Academics Heidelberg and at NINERS Chemnitz, who have a 24-8 record.
Ulm lose to Bayern, secure playoffs spot after win at Heidelberg
ratiopharm ulm secured a direct spot in the playoffs after they delivered only a split last week, highlighted by a home loss to league leaders FC Bayern Munich. Ulm could not keep Bayern from reeling off a 24-5 run spanning the final two quarters and lost 81-74. LJ Figueroa scored 18 points in the loss. Ulm bounced back in strong fashion with a 73-57 victory at MLP Academics Heidelelberg. Figueroa had 17 points and Trevion Williams picked up a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. Ulm have a 22-10 record in fifth place - one game behind Würzburg Baskets in the final spot for home court advantage in the playoffs. Ulm will finish the season with a home game against EWE Baskets Oldenburg and a trip to Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
Kuhse stars as Vechta stay on course for playoffs with two wins
Tommy Kuhse showed why he is one of the top MVP candidates as he delivered two strong performances in helping RASTA Vechta grab two victories and remain on course for the playoffs. Vechta took an 11-point lead over NINERS Chemnitz in the first quarter and never relinquished it for a 91-83 road victory. Kuhse hit 4 three-pointers in scoring 21 points, Joel Aminu had 15 points and Johann Grünloh picked up 10 points and 10 rebounds. Vechta doubled up with wins in beating BG Göttingen 81-75 at home. Vechta lost a 12-point lead but never trailed and fought through for the win. Kuhse tallied 23 points and 7 assists and Joschka Ferner drained 4 three-pointers for 14 points. Going into the final week, Vechta are in sixth place with a 20-12 record - one win ahead of Telekom Baskets Bonn. They finish the season on the road at Bamberg Baskets and at home against SYNTAINICS MBC.
Bonn still alive for direct playoffs after getting one victory
Telekom Baskets Bonn remained alive in the race for the final direct playoffs spot after they split two games. Glynn Watson tallied 22 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists off the bench in an 89-79 road victory over Bamberg Baskets, pulling away with the final eight points. Bonn could not make it two for two as they lost 100-91 at home to Würzburg Baskets despite Watson scoring 22 points again. Bonn have a 19-13 record in seventh place - one victory behind RASTA Vechta - going into their first week of action as they travel to ALBA BERLIN and host MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg.
Ludwigsburg lose twice, need help for direct playoffs spot
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg’s hopes for a direct playoffs spot took a major blow as they lost both road games during the week and now need help to reach the top six. Ludwigsburg got 22 points from Desure Buie but they were not enough in a 91-85 loss at ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES. Ludwigsburg could not bounce back and lost 91-90 at SYNTAINICS MBC despite Yorman Polas Bartolo picking up 17 points. Ludwigsburg have an 18-14 record and are secured a Play-Ins spot but are two wins behind RASTA Vechta in sixth place with Telekom Baskets Bonn in between at 19-13. Ludwigsburg host FC Bayern Munich before finishing the season in Bonn.
Oldenburg split two games, aim for eighth place
EWE Baskets Oldenburg go into the final week of the regular season knowing they are secured a Play-Ins spot but still have plenty to play for heading into the final two games. Oldenburg earned one victory in the penultimate week as they lost the first game 87-83 at BG Göttingen despite Ebuka Izundu picking up 20 points and 8 rebounds. Oldenburg rebounded in style with a 79-63 home win over Tigers Tübingen. Geno Crandall had 20 points, 8 rebounds and 6 assists, Izundu tallied 18 points and 9 rebounds and Brekkott Chapman added 9 points and 12 rebounds. Oldenburg are ninth at 17-15 and one victory behind eighth placed MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg. Oldenburg will play at ratiopharm ulm and host Bamberg Baskets in the final week.
Hamburg split two home games, still in final Play-Ins spot
Veolia Towers Hamburg only managed a split of two home games in the penultimate week of action but they still have good chances of locking up the final spot in the Play-Ins. Aljami Durham scored 19 points to pace five players in double figures in a 94-88 victory over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim. Hamburg trailed by 7 points in the fourth quarter but used a 14-0 run for the win. Hamburg had Brae Ivey pick up 15 points but they were not enough in an 85-79 loss against NINERS Chemitz. Hamburg were down by 17 points in the third quarter and made things interesting but could not finish the comeback. Hamburg are 10th with a 15-17 record - two victories behind EWE Baskets Oldenburg and even on record but with the tiebreaker over Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Hamburg finish the season at last placed Tigers Tübingen and at home against BG Göttingen.
Braunschweig grab two wins in front of Schröder, Play-Ins still a possibility
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig are making a final push to make the Play-Ins as they won both of their games this week - both with world champion Dennis Schröder in the stands. Braunschweig trailed for a large portion of the game against Tigers Tübingen but put it away with a 17-4 run to close the game in an 81-68 victory. Jilson Bango scored 19 points and Ahmaad Rorie had 18 points and 6 assists. TJ Crockett buried two three-pointers in the final minute in a 76-70 home win over ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES. Bango scored 26 points and Crockett finished with 19 points. Braunschweig have a 15-17 record - tied with Veolia Towers Hamburg but behind due to the tiebreaker. Braunschweig have a tough close to the season at NINERS Chemnitz and at home against ratiopharm ulm.
Bamberg can still hope for Play-Ins after one win
Bamberg Baskets can still dream about a spot in the Play-Ins after grabbing one victory in the penultimate week of games. Bamberg conceded the final eight points at home against Telekom Baskets Bonn, losing 89-79. Malik Johnson and Trey Woodbury both scored 13 points. Bamberg go into the final week with confidence after a 109-82 blowout of HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim on the road. Justin Gray scored 21 points, Zach Copeland had 18 points and 7 assists and Filip Stanic chipped in 17 points and 8 rebounds for Bamberg, who led 30-16 after 10 minutes. Bamberg are fighting for 10th place with a 14-18 record, one victory behind Veolia Towers Hamburg and Basketball Löwen Braunschweig. Bamberg finish the season at home versus RASTA Vechta and at EWE Baskets Oldenburg.
Wolves stave off relegation after splitting two games
SYNTAINICS MBC will play next season in the easyCredit BBL after they split two games in the penultimate week to stave off relegation. The Wolves gave up a 31-15 third quarter in losing 107-83 at Würzburg Baskets with Chris-Ebou Ndow leading the way with 16 points. SYNTAINICS MBC grabbed a decisive victory over the weekend, beating MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 91-90 at home. They had a 29-16 second quarter and hit big baskets late for the win. Johnathan Stove scored 28 points and Martin Breunig added 17 points. The Wolves stand 13th in the standings with a 10-22 record and travel to BG Göttingen and RASTA Vechta to finish the season.
Göttingen breathe sigh of relief, avoid relegation after split
BG Göttingen and their fans let out a massive sigh of relief as they split the two games to officially avoid relegation. Bodie Hume hit two three-pointers in the final minute and Göttingen went 4-of-4 on free throws in the final 12 seconds for an 87-83 home win over EWE Baskets Oldenburg. Umoja Gibson poured in 20 points, Hume finished with 19 points and David DeJulius added 17 points and 8 assists. Göttingen could not grab a second win as they lost 81-75 at RASTA Vechta. Gibson had 13 points and Hume scored 12 points. Göttingen’s two final games are at home versus SYNTAINICS MBC and at Veolia Towers Hamburg.
Rostock beat Ludwigsburg but fall to Braunschweig, not yet safe from relegation
ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES moved a big step towards staving off relegation as they split their two games this week. Tyler Nelson tallied 31 points as Rostock knocked off MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg 91-85 at home. Rostock could not make it two wins though as they watched Basketball Löwen Braunschweig hit big shots late for a 76-70 road loss. Nelson led Rostock with 23 points. Rostock hold a 9-23 record with a big showdown with 17th placed HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim before finishing the season at FC Bayern Munich.
Heidelberg drop two games, still outside relegation zone
MLP Academics Heidelberg head into the final week of action still outside the relegation zone despite two losses in the first of two double rounders. Heidelberg came back from a 14-point deficit and led in the fourth but lost 96-89 at ALBA BERLIN. Jeffrey Carroll collected 25 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists in the losing effort. Heidelberg never really challenged at home against ratiopharm ulm in a 73-57 defeat despite Justin Jaworski scoring 16 points. Heidelberg are 8-24 going into the week with games at Würzburg Baskets and at home against last placed Tigers Tübingen.
Crailsheim lose twice, face challenge to avoid relegation
HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim enter the final week of action knowing they need help to stay in the league after dropping both games this past week. Crailsheim led by 7 points in the fourth quarter but watched Veolia Towers Hamburg reel off a 14-0 run and lost 94-88 on the road. Keandre Cook had 22 points and 9 rebounds off the bench. Things were nearly as close against Bamberg Baskets in a 109-82 home defeat. Alexey Borges paced Crailsheim with 14 points. Crailsheim sit in 17th place in the standings with a road game at ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES before hosting ALBA BERLIN to finish the season.
Tübingen face major uphill battle to avoid relegation after two more defeats
Tigers Tübingen enter the final week of action still alive to avoid relegation from the easyCredit BBL, but things do not look good after two more losses ran the losing streak to nine straight games. Tübingen gave up a 17-4 run to Basketball Löwen Braunschweig to finish the game and lost 81-68 at home. Jhivvan Jackson had 18 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Tübingen really never challenged EWE Baskets Oldenburg in the weekend game, losing 79-63 on the road despite Erol Ersek’s 20 points. Tübingen are last in the league at 6-26 and are two wins behind 16th placed MLP Academics Heidelberg. They host Veolia Towers Hamburg and play at Heidelberg in the final two games.
Player(s) of the Week(s)
Two rounds of action this week means two Player of the Week awards to hand out. Würzburg Baskets’ Zac Seljaas was the top performer for Round 31 as he scored 20 points on a 7-of-7 shooting and 4-of-5 free throws to go with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 block for an efficiency of 28 against SYNTAINICS MBC. The top honors for Round 32 go to Basketball Löwen Braunschweig’s Jilson Bango as the big man scored 26 points on 11-of-13 shots and 4-of-4 free throws and added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 blocks for an efficiency of 34 vs ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Len Schoormann, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Schoormann helped the team to a split. He knocked down 5 three-pointers in scoring 17 points to go with 1 rebound and 1 assist in a loss to BG Göttingen. The guard picked up 6 points, 1 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal in a win over Tigers Tübingen.
F: Nicholas Tischler, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Tischler had two solid games in two Braunschweig victories. He tallied 10 points, 8 rebounds, 1 assist, 5 steals and 1 block versus Tigers Tübingen and collected 9 points, 6 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal versus ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES.
C: Martin Breunig, SYNTAINICS MBC
Breunig delivered 8 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in a loss against Würzburg Baskets and then contributed 17 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists in a win over MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg.
C: Filip Stanic, Bamberg Baskets
Stanic was rock solid this week with 10 points 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in a loss to Telekom Baskets Bonn and then had 17 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block in a win over HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
C: Kevin Yebo, NINERS Chemnitz
Yebo did all he could in trying to help Chemnitz to beat RASTA Vechta but his 23 points, 5 rebounds, 2 assists and 1 steal were not enough. The center tallied 18 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal in a win over Veolia Towers Hamburg.
Young Guns
Johann Grünlo, 18, C, RASTA Vechta
Grünloh was a major help in getting two big wins this week. He registered his second double-double of the season with 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting and 2-of-4 free throws and 10 rebounds to go with 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in 27:56 minutes against NINERS Chemnitz. He followed that with 10 points on 5-of-5 shooting and 0-of-2 free throws, 7 rebounds and 1 steal against BG Göttingen.
Gian Aydinoglu, 20, PG, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
The 20-year-old Aydinoglu scored 3 points on 0-of-1 three-pointers and 3-of-4 free throws and added 2 rebounds and 2 assists in 12:43 minutes against Tigers Tübingen. He made his only three-point shot against ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES for 3 points to go with 1 rebound in 7:59 minutes.
Ralph Hounnou, 22, PG, SYNTAINICS MBC
Hounnou only played one game this week but he made both of his shots including one three-pointer in scoring 5 points in 2:26 minutes against Würzburg Baskets.
NBBL, JBBL and WNBL Top Four in Berlin
Speaking of Young Guns, Berlin’s Sporthalle Charlottenburg will this weekend host the Top Four of the country’s top three youth leagues - the U19 NBBL and U16 JBBL men’s leagues as well as the women’s U18 WBL. The RSM Ebner Stolz Jugend-TOP4 will tip off with the WNBL Semi-Finals on Friday May 10 while the NBBL and JBBL Semi-Finals will be played on May 11 and the three Finals will take place on May 12.
Germans Abroad
The NBA Playoffs have reached the Conference Semi-Finals and there are still two Germans alive for the title. Franz and Moritz Wagner were unable to overcome Cleveland in the first round as Orlando lost Game 7 on the road 106-94 to bow out of the post-season. Daniel Theis and the Los Angeles Clippers were beaten 4-2 in the series against Maxi Kleber and Dallas. Isaiah Hartenstein and the New York Knicks are also still alive after fending off Philadelphia 4-2 in the first round. Dallas will play Oklahoma City and New York take on Indiana.
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