Telekom Baskets Bonn also won the second leg in the group stage of the Basketball Champions League against AEK Athens.
The 80:72 (39:38) win for head coach Tuomas Iisalo’s team on Wednesday evening was the third win in the Baskets’ fourth game this season. As a result, the people from Bonn, who are first in the group, still have very good chances of reaching the next round. The outstanding player among the Rhinelanders was once again TJ Shorts.
Against Athens, the Baskets were again without Tyson Ward, who was absent with a hamstring injury.
Balanced first half
Both teams gave nothing in the first quarter and met at eye level. The baskets collected significantly more rebounds than the opponent, but were not able to convert that into points and ended the game with a narrow 19:17 lead.
At the beginning of the second quarter, the Baskets were able to pull away slightly to 25:20 with a 6:3 run. However, the lead didn’t last long and with two minutes to go the Greeks were leading 34:31. By the half-time break, Bonn had regained a 39:38 lead.
Shorts make the difference
Even after the change of sides, the game initially remained balanced until TJ Shorts and Finn Delaney brought the Baskets ahead with a 10:0 run to 51:41. Shorts alone scored seven points in that run. The Baskets then had the game under control and extended their lead even further. At the end of the third quarter, the people of Bonn were comfortably ahead at 63:50.
In the final quarter, Bonn’s success was never in danger and the Baskets had a double-digit lead until the final minute. The top scorer of the game was Shorts with a strong 27 points and four assists. Delaney and Jeremy Morgan each had eleven points.
Saturday evening in Ludwigsburg
On Saturday (November 26th, 2022/8.30 p.m.) the still undefeated Bonners in the Bundesliga will continue with an away game at the MHP giants Ludwigsburg.
