History was made in Istanbul as NINERS Chemnitz became the sixth German club to win a European title as they took the FIBA Europe Cup crown despite losing the return leg of the Finals 105-95 in overtime at Bahcesehir College. In the easyCredit BBL, Chemnitz lost a second straight game while the biggest defeat of the week was ALBA BERLIN falling at Basketball Löwen Braunschweig with world champion Dennis Schröder in the house. The MVP race is also heating up and Otis Livingstone got a big boost as the Würzburg Baskets guard dominated Tommy Kuhse of RASTA Vechta in a head-to-head match-up.
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:
Chemnitz claim FIBA Europe Cup trophy - sixth German European crown
NINERS Chemnitz etched their names in the history books of international basketball by claiming the FIBA Europe Cup title - the sixth European crown for a German club. Chemnitz won the first game against Bahcesehir College 85-74 at home and then went to Istanbul and lost the return leg 105-95 in overtime to take the title 180-179 on aggregate points. Chemnitz joined ALBA BERLIN (1995 Korac Cup), Mitteldeutsche BC (2004 FIBA EuroCup Challenge), BG Göttingen (2010 EuroChallenge), FRAPORT SKYLINERS (2016 FIBA Europe Cup) and Telekom Baskets Bonn (2023 Basketball Champions League) as the sixth German club to hoist a European trophy.
MVP race heating up among Livingstone, Kuhse, Williams and Yebo
With the regular season soon coming to a close, the race for the Most Valuable Player is heating up. The leading candidates for the trophy are Otis Livingstone of surprise side Würzburg Baskets, Tommy Kuhse of promoted RASTA Vechta, Trevion Williams from reigning champs ratiopharm ulm and Kevin Yebo from FIBA Europe Cup winners NINERS Chemnitz. Livingstone had a big week as he dominated Kuhse in a head-to-head matchup. The MVP will be voted on by the 18 team captains, up to five former easyCredit BBL players, selected media members and the lead assistant coaches of all 18 teams.
Braunschweig snap Berlin win streak with Dennis Schröder in the house
Basketball Löwen Braunschweig refuse to give up their hopes of reaching the Play-Ins as they defeated ALBA BERLIN 90-81 to snap the guests’ 13-game winning streak with world champion Dennis Schröder in the building. Braunschweig raced away with a 16-0 run in the first quarter and led 34-14 after 10 minutes. Berlin could not get closer than four points with 5 minutes to play. Braunschweig held on to improve to 13-17 - one victory behind Veolia Towers Hamburg in the final Play-Ins spot, and Berlin moved to 23-6 - one game behind FC Bayern Munich. Berlin shot just 38.0 percent in the game including 21.4 percent from long range. Jilson Bango paced Braunschweig with 18 points and 9 rebounds, Brandon Tischler picked up 17 points and Nicholas Tischler and Ahmaad Rorie both scored 11 points and combined for 9 rebounds, 10 assists and 3 steals. Sterling Brown tallied 13 points, 8 rebounds, 7 assists and 4 steals and Yanni Wetzell had 12 points.
Berlin lock up playoffs spot, pull even with Bayern after 13th straight win
ALBA BERLIN pulled even with FC Bayern Munich atop the league after locking up a playoffs spot thanks to a 91-74 win over ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES in a Round 12 make-up game for their 13th straight victory. Berlin continue to win despite major personnel issues as Khalifa Koumadje, Gabriele Procida, Matteo Spagnolo, Johannes Thiemann, Louis Olinde and Yanni Wetzell all missed the game. Rostock came back and led after Berlin jumped ahead by 10 points in the first quarter. But the hosts used a 17-2 run spanning the final two quarters to move to 23-5 while Rostock fell to 8-21 after having won two of three games. Berlin held Rostock to just 38.5 percent shooting including 25.0 percent from long range. Jonas Mattisseck scored a career high 21 points, Tim Schneider had 17 points and 7 rebounds and Martin Hermannsson added 14 points, 4 rebounds and 6 assists. Robin Amaize and Sid-Marlon Theis both had 13 points and 2 rebounds off the bench as the Rostock starters were held to just 36 points.
Ludwigsburg down FIBA Europe Cup champs Chemnitz, stay in direct playoffs race
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg stayed right in the race for the direct playoffs spots as they fended off a comeback from the freshly-crowned FIBA Europe Cup champions NINERS Chemnitz for a 96-93 home win. Ludwigsburg gained control of the game with a 23-7 run spanning the middle two quarters in building an 18-point lead. Chemnitz made things interesting in getting the gap down to three points late. Ludwigsburg improved to 18-12 after having lost three of the last four games. Chemnitz have dropped two in a row in the league to fall to 23-7. Ludwigsburg shot 65.0 percent on two-pointers and made 26-of-35 free throws compared to just 15-of-23 foul shots for Chemnitz. Desure Buie paced Ludwigsburg with 18 points and 4 assists, Silas Melson and Eddy Edigin both had 14 points and Jayvon Graves picked up 13 points, 6 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 steals. Aher Uguak scored 21 points and Wesley van Beck and Kaza Kajami-Keane both had 17 points in the loss.
Würzburg fight off Vechta, take major step towards direct playoffs spot
Würzburg Baskets took a major step towards securing a direct spot in the playoffs as they fought off RASTA Vechta 89-87 on the road. Würzburg pulled away in the third quarter for a 13-point lead but Vechta pulled even less than 4 minutes later. The whole fourth quarter was tight with three points being the biggest lead until a Javon Bess three-pointer and Owen Klassen dunk had the guests up 89-85 with 41 seconds left to secure the win. After 16 lead changes and 7 ties, Würzburg moved to 21-9 after two straight losses - three wins more than Vechta, Telekom Baskets Bonn and MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg - and Vechta are fading in the race for the direct playoffs spot with four losses in the last five games for an 18-12 record. Würzburg committed only 10 turnovers and shot 58.6 percent on two-pointers. Otis Livingston did a bit of everything with 23 points, 4 rebounds and 5 assists, Zachary Seljaas scored 16 points and Klassen finished with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Chip Flanigan was Vechta’s top scorer with 20 points, Wes Iwundu had 19 points and Ryan Schwieger added 16 points, but Tommy Kuhse was held to just 5 points.
Oldenburg win streak at five games, close to locking up Play-Ins spot
EWE Baskets Oldenburg have just about locked up a Play-Ins spot as they rolled past Veolia Towers Hamburg 107-92 for their fifth straight victory. Oldenburg led most of the game but blew it open with a 17-3 run at the end of the third quarter to move to 16-14. Hamburg have lost five of their last six for a 14-16 record as they try to hang on to the last Play-Ins spot. Oldenburg shot 45.7 percent from long range with 16 three-pointers while Hamburg hit just 25.0 percent on triples. Geno Crandall came off the Oldenburg bench and hit 7 three-pointers in scoring 34 points while Len Schoormann scored 17 points and DeWayne Russell added 15 points and 9 assists. Aljami Durham had an outstanding all-around game with 22 points, 5 rebounds and 8 assists and VJ King scored 21 points in the loss.
Wolves snap losing skid, take head-to-head against Heidelberg
SYNTAINICS MBC picked up a crucial victory in their fight against relegation as they snapped a five-game losing streak with a 104-97 win over MLP Academic Heidelberg to also take the head-to-head advantage between the teams. The Wolves took command with a 15-1 first quarter run and never looked back though Heidelberg managed to pull within two points in the final 4 minutes. SYNTAINICS MBC improved to 9-21 and Heidelberg fell to 8-22 after having won three of their last four including last week against FC Bayern Munich. The home side shot 68.8 percent on two-pointers and dominated inside with a 45-31 rebound advantage and 58-28 gap on points in the paint. Charles Callison led the hosts with 27 points and 6 assists, Kostja Mushidi came off the bench for 20 points and 3 rebounds and John Bryant added 13 points and 10 rebounds. Justin Jaworski poured in 28 points and 8 assists, Jeffrey Carroll scored 26 points and Elijah Childs tallied a double-double of 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss.
Bayern bounce back from Rostock loss, race away from Tübingen
FC Bayern Munich bounced back from their loss to ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES and produced a convincing 92-73 victory at home over Tigers Tübingen. The guests hung tough for 27 minutes before Bayern went on a 27-9 surge spanning the final two quarters and moved to 24-5 and Tübingen desperately need wins with a 6-24 mark in last place after seven straight losses. Bayern committed only 8 turnovers, turned 13 offensive rebounds into a 16-2 advantage in second chance points and made 22-of-26 free throws compared to 10-of-10 for Tübingen. Devin Booker paced six Bayern players in double figures with 14 points, Sylvain Francisco scored 13 points and Nick Weiler-Babb added 12 points. Evan Maxwell scored 21 points and Frank Gaines had 16 points in the loss.
Ulm blow out Crailsheim, stay on course for home court advantage
ratiopharm ulm’s offense was not pretty but they still dominated HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 86-66 for a sixth straight win to stay on course for home court advantage in the playoffs. Ulm mounted a 23-7 second quarter run to ease to the win and a 21-9 record while Crailsheim fell to 7-23 after having won two of three games. Ulm shot just 36.8 percent for the game but forced 29 Crailsheim turnovers and turned a 17-3 advantage in offensive rebounds into a 19-0 margin in second chance points. Trevion Williams scored 20 points and had 7 rebounds, Thomas Klepeisz had 12 points and Justinian Jessup added 11 points. Galin Smith scored 19 points with 5 rebounds in the loss.
Bonn score season-high 112 points, secure Play-Ins spot
Telekom Baskets Bonn locked up a berth in the Play-Ins and stayed within striking distance of the direct playoffs spots with a convincing 112-89 victory at home over ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES. Bonn led by 11 points already in the first half and a 31-20 second quarter had the lead at 14 points at the break. Bonn did not give up control the rest of the way in improving to 18-12 with five straight home wins. Rostock could not open some breathing room in their battle against relegation with a fourth loss in the last five games for an 8-22 record. Bonn shot a blistering 60.6 percent from the field including 58.3 percent from long range and committed only 11 turnovers. Bonn also allowed only 3 Rostock offensive rebounds and won the second chance points statistic 13-4. Brian Fobbs led the way with 23 points, Harald Frey collected 19 points and 11 assists and Glynn Watson added 18 points off the bench. Tyler Nelson and Derrick Alston both scored 22 points in the defeat.
Bamberg beat Göttingen, keep up pressure on Hamburg for final Play-Ins spot
Bamberg Baskets kept alive their hopes of reaching the Play-Ins as they knocked off BG Göttingen 85-76 at home. Göttingen cut an 11-point third quarter deficit to two early in the fourth quarter but the hosts reclaimed control and led by 13 points. Bamberg have won two of three games for a 13-17 record - just one win behind Veolia Towers Hamburg in the final Play-Ins spot - and Göttingen are 9-21 after three losses in the last four games. Bamberg’s defense kept Göttingen to just 37.0 percent shooting for the game, including 28.1 percent from long range. Malik Johnson collected 16 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists, Justin Gray and Zach Copeland both scored 13 points and Adrian Nelson and Trey Woodbury both scored 11 points and combined for 17 rebounds. Umoja Gibson led Göttingen with 18 points, Fedor Zugic had 16 points and David DeJulius added 13 points and 6 assists.
Woltmann stays with Bamberg for three more years, will assist Gavel
Bamberg Baskets and Arne Woltmann have agreed to stay together for three more years as he will serve as the assistant to Anton Gavel starting next season. The 49-year-old Woltmann is currently serving as Bamberg’s head coach after the club fired Oren Amiel in February 2024. Woltmann has been with the club since 2022 and is completing his eighth season in Freak City after serving as Chris Fleming’s assistant coach from 2008 to 2014.
Player of the Week
Top honors for Round 30 go to Geno Crandall from EWE Baskets Oldenburg who poured in 34 points off the bench on 9-of-13 shooting with 7 three-pointers and 9-of-11 free throws to go with 1 rebound, 4 assists and 2 steals for an efficiency of 31 against Veolia Towers Hamburg.
German Top Five of the Week
G: Len Schoormann, EWE Baskets Oldenburg
Schoormann had another strong game with 17 points, 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal against Veolia Towers Hamburg.
G: Kostja Mushidi, SYNTAINICS MBC
Mushidi hit 3 three-pointers in scoring 20 points with 3 rebounds versus MLP Academics Heidelberg.
F: Brandon Tischler, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
Tischler was outstanding against ALBA BERLIN with 17 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals and 1 block.
F: Tim Schneider, ALBA BERLIN
Schneider continues to shine with his extra playing time. Against ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES, he had 17 points, 7 rebounds 2 assists, 2 steals and 1 block and followed that with 10 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal versus Basketball Löwen Braunschweig.
C: Eddy Edigin, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg
Edigin dominated the game over stretches against NINERS Chemnitz and finished with 14 points, 6 rebounds, 1 steal and 2 blocks.
Young Guns
Gian Aydinoglu, 20, PG, Basketball Löwen Braunschweig
The 20-year-old playmaker scored 2 points on 1-of-3 shooting (0/1 threes) to go with 1 rebound, 1 assist and 1 steal in 8:24 minutes against his former team ALBA BERLIN.
Elias Baggette, 22, PG, HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim
Baggette had 2 points on 1-of-3 shots and 0-of-2 free throws, 3 rebounds and 4 assists in 12:33 minutes against ratiopharm ulm.
Anton Nufer, 18, SG; Linus Ruf, 18, C; Amon Dörries, 18, PF, ALBA BERLIN
Berlin used the game against ROSTOCK SEAWOLVES to give their youngsters some playing time. Nufer played 3:36 minutes and scored his first 2 points on 0-of-1 three-pointers and 2-2 to go with 1 rebound in his third appearance. Ruf played his fourth game and has scored in three of them, picking up 2 points on 1-of-1 shooting in 6:33 minutes. Dörries made his second appearance after playing 19 seconds earlier this month but did not record any stats in 4:10 minutes.
Germans Abroad
Ismet Akpinar had a strong game with 12 points and 4 assists for Galatasaray Istanbul in a blowout of Samsunspor. The German playmaker has been hot of late with 10.0 points and 2.7 assists per game over his last six contests. For the season, the 28-year-old, who his spending his first season with Galatasray and third straight season in Türkiye, is averaging 7.0 points and 1.4 assists in 25 games.
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