Enthusiasm for Luke Sikma (left) and Tim Schneider (archive image) Photo: picture alliance/ HMB Media
From BZ/dpa
Alba Berlin has successfully started the second half of the basketball Bundesliga. On Sunday evening, Alba won the twelfth-placed MLP Academics Heidelberg 94-86 (40-34).
The Albatrosses remain top of the table after their tenth league win in a row. The best Berlin throwers were Yanni Wetzell with 20 points and Yovel Zoosman with 14 points.
Both teams tried to set a lot of pace from the start, but this resulted in some mistakes on both sides. The Berliners, who again had to do without national player Maodo Lo because of knee problems, lost eight turnovers in the first half alone. Only towards the end of the first quarter did the guests manage to pull away slightly.
Alba seemed more confident now, hit his throws better up front and was particularly good on the defensive. Especially under the basket, the German champion was very attentive and didn’t allow much. The Berliners increasingly won the ball and took a double-digit lead for the first time in the middle of the second quarter (29:19). But Heidelberg stayed tuned and shortened again at the break.
After the change of sides, the hosts even came back to one point (40:39).
But Alba remained unimpressed, countered Heidelberg’s urge phase and was up again with ten points before the final quarter (66:56) – also thanks to the now strong ratio in distance throws. Alba brought the lead sovereign over time.