The Ulm basketball team led 2-1 against top favorite Berlin in the quarter-finals of the BBL playoffs. On Wednesday evening, the Swabians can complete the surprise at home and move into the semi-finals.
“Of course the pressure is now on us too, we have to deal with it and we mustn’t play scared in any way, we have to continue to act physically,” says Ulm’s head coach Anton Gavel before the fourth and possibly decisive playoff game against Alba Berlin.
Alba Berlin – ratiopharm Ulm: Three games, three away wins
The Ulmer won games 1 and 3 in Berlin and were blatant outsiders in both games. “No one expected anything from us,” says Gavel. The second game in Ulm, when the Swabians actually wanted to add more, was lost.
On Wednesday evening (8:30 p.m.) there is now the chance to close the sack at home and move into the semi-finals of the playoffs in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL). The Ulmer can once again rely on the loud support of their own fans. More than 6,000 spectators are expected, the hall is sold out, as the club announced on Tuesday.
Should Ulm lose the game, there will be a crucial fifth game in Berlin on Friday (8:30 p.m.). Of course, Gavel and his team want to avoid that, hence the pressure on the people of Baden-Württemberg on Wednesday evening. The opponent from the federal capital is also under a lot of pressure. Alba Berlin has won the German championship for the past three years and is one of the top favorites for the title again this year. Eliminating in the quarterfinals would be a huge disappointment.
Better defense than Game 2 as the key to victory
What would be a big disappointment for one would be a small sensation for the other this year – Ulm finished the regular season in seventh place, Berlin in second place. In order for this to succeed, it is important to “remain tactically focused on the defensive,” says Gavel. According to the 38-year-old, that didn’t go so well in the second game that Ulm lost.
The coach, who has been happy with his team’s performance so far, demands full energy from the start for the upcoming game. Everything has to fit and the team has to be ready. “The team knows what’s at stake,” says the coach.
