Jaleen Smith was one of Alba’s top scorers in the game against Ulm with 13 points Photo: City Press
By Nicolas Sowa
Alba Berlin won its last home game before the start of the playoffs in the Basketball Bundesliga.
On Sunday, the Berliners won against seventh-placed ratiopharm Ulm at home with 91:79 (48:33). The Berliners remain second in the table and could meet Ulm again in the quarterfinals of the playoffs on May 14th. In front of 10,886 spectators, the best Berlin throwers were Jaleen Smith and Tim Schneider with 13 points each.
Alba center Ben Lammers dunk against Ulm Photo: City Press
Coach Israel Gonzalez’s team, who had to be without Louis Olinde and Yovel Zoosman due to a flu infection, took the lead with the first few points and didn’t relinquish it until the end of the game. Nevertheless, Alba found it difficult to find his throwing rhythm at the beginning of the game.
Albas Johannes Thiemann pulls with all his might to the basket Photo: City Press
However, since Ulm found it even more difficult against the Berlin defense, the Berliners were able to gradually break away and were ahead by 17 points at half-time (46:29). After the change of sides, Alba acted a bit too casually. Ulm took advantage of this and suddenly found themselves back to seven points (63:56) in the third quarter.
But the Berliners responded with a 15:2 run across quarters and pulled away to 20 points. Ulm fought to the end, but the defending champion didn’t let the victory be taken away from him.