16 points from guard Jaleen Smith were not enough for Alba to win in Ulm Photo: picture alliance / nordphoto GmbH / Engler
By Nicolas Sowa
Alba certainly imagined this season finale differently. Because the defending champion was surprisingly eliminated in the playoff quarterfinals.
On Wednesday evening, the Berliners lost their fourth game at ratiopharm Ulm 81:83 (51:50). The best-of-five series went to Ulm 3-1. They now meet FC Bayern Munich in the semi-finals, and the season is over for Alba. The best Berlin throwers were Jaleen Smith with 16 and Malte Delow with 15 points.
Coach Israel Gonzalez was able to fall back on defensive specialist Yovel Zoosman for the first time in the playoffs, but the sick Italian Gabriele Procida, who had played so well in the last game in Ulm, was missing. Alba went straight to the point from the start and quickly took a 12:6 lead.
At the end of the first quarter, however, Ulm presented the guests with more and more problems due to a very variable defense. The defending champion allowed himself to lose a few balls, which the hosts then immediately punished. In the middle of the second period, Ulm was 38:31 ahead. But the capitals didn’t fall apart this time and regained a narrow lead at the break.
Even after the change of sides, it remained a tight game. The lead changed back and forth. Alba was better defensively, but Ulm also hardly allowed the guests space for free throws. Every attack was now hotly contested.
The final phase became a thrill. 14.4 seconds Smith sunk two free throws to 81:82. But Ulm countered with dos Santos and Maodo Lo finally missed the chance to win with the last throw.