In the BBL playoffs, the Telekom Baskets Bonn won the third game of the quarter-final series against the Würzburg Baskets.
After two home games at the start, the Bonn team won away with 80:76 (36:44) thanks to an increase in performance after the half-time break on Friday evening and still need a win in the “best of five” series to reach the semi-finals (2:1). The best throwers for Bonn were Alijah Comithier with 18 and Jalen Finch with 16 points, while Davion Mintz had 17 for Würzburg.
The fourth comparison will take place again on Sunday (4:30 p.m.) in Würzburg. In a possible fifth playoff game, Bonn would have home advantage again. Würzburg won the first game in Bonn with 69:54, and Bonn won the second with 88:81.
Würzburg more efficient than Bonn
From the start, both teams defended aggressively and scored their points primarily from the free throw line. Both Würzburg and Bonn needed a few minutes to find their offensive rhythm. Alen Pjanic (10th) scored ten seconds before the end of the first quarter from the three-point line to make it 22:17 for the hosts, on the other hand, Grayson Murphy missed the last throw for Bonn from the outside position before the siren.
At the beginning of the second period, the Bonn team made it easy for the Würzburgers and allowed easy points: Christian Skladanowski scored with a layup, Brae Ivey followed up with a three-pointer (17:27) – and Bonn’s coach Marko Stankovic immediately called a timeout. Joel Aminu (13th) then brought his team up to six points with the first three-pointer from Bonn (21:27). After another three-pointer from Finch (19th), the gap narrowed to four points (34:38).
But Würzburg was a little more accurate and remained the more alert team under the baskets, which Bonn’s coach Stankovic loudly criticized during another timeout. The hosts went into halftime with an eight-point lead (36:44). “We had problems rebounding throughout the half, offensively and defensively. We need more focus and have to make better use of our chances,” said Stankovic in an interview with “DYN”.
Bonn shows a different face after the break
Bonn started the second half significantly improved and with a different body language. Jeff Garret started the quarter with a converted three-pointer (39:44), before Tylan Birts was successful from the free throw line (41:44). Aminu provoked an offensive foul against Würzburg’s Davion Mintz, Birts (23rd) completed Bonn’s 10-0 run with another three-pointer and equalized (44:44). When Garret gave the guests the lead again with a layup (46:44), Würzburg had not yet scored any points in more than three minutes played in the second half.
Only after a time-out and two more Bonn points did Würzburg’s David Muenkat stop the run with an alley-oop (48:46), but the throws stopped falling at first. Würzburg’s main round top scorer Marcus Carr and Mintz missed three shots in a row from a distance before Mintz (27th) converted at least one of two free throws (47:50). Patrick Heckmann (28th) took the first six-point lead for Bonn from the free throw line (53:47). Shortly before the end of the third period, Carr, who had had no luck throwing until then, scored his first two points of the game (55:51).
Bonn is giving leadership away again
Things remained tight in the final quarter. Würzburg crawled to within two points from the free throw line (57:55), before Grayson Murphy (33′) gave the visitors the right answer with a three-pointer (60:55). And Bonn – the team with the worst three-point rate in the main round (a good 27 percent) – continued to show one of its best games of the season from a distance: Finch (34th) scored the seventh of 18 Bonn attempts (39 percent) to make it 64:56.
Bonn initially remained stable, but after a 5-0 run by Muenkat and Carr, Würzburg was back within two points (66:64). When the score was 70:67, Bonn’s Comithier pulled really hard to the basket twice in a row, giving Bonn a seven-point lead (74:67).
Bonn has the upper hand
But Würzburg came back. After Bonn lost the ball, Carr made it 74:74 with a three-pointer 57 seconds before the end of the game. Bonn played down the clock on the subsequent attack, was lucky with the offensive rebound and Garret scored from the three-point line on his second attempt to make it 77:74.
Charles Thompson responded with a dunk for the hosts, on the other side Murphy went to the free throw line for Bonn and converted one (78:76). Würzburg had 14 seconds left. Carr took the last throw – and missed the three-pointer. Garret was fouled and finished with two free throws.
Our sources:
- Game between Würzburg and Bonn on May 22nd, 2026 on the streaming service DYN
- Website of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL)
Broadcast: WDR.de, “Bonn beats Würzburg and takes the lead in the playoffs”, May 22nd, 2026, 11:15 p.m
