FC Bayern’s basketball players botched the dress rehearsal for the German duel with Alba Berlin in the Euroleague. The Munich team lost at EWE Baskets Oldenburg 67:77 (39:45) and thus suffered their first defeat of the still young Bundesliga season.
Alba got going for the clash in the European premier class on Thursday with an easy 110:75 (59:40) against Hakro Merlins Crailsheim.
Bayern were without former NBA star Serge Ibaka in Oldenburg due to two more games this week. Nevertheless, the top favorite for the title got off to a good start and won the first quarter 26:21. But then Oldenburg improved and turned the game around. At the break, Lower Saxony was surprisingly ahead by six points.
After the break, the hosts even pulled ahead to 13 points, but led by world champion Andreas Obst, Bayern came back to within one point. But Oldenburg kept calm and pulled away again in the final quarter. Also because the threes no longer wanted to fall when it came to fruit. The best Oldenburg thrower was Charles Manning Junior with 20 points, while world champion Isaac Bonga scored 16 points for Bayern.
30 point lead
Alba, on the other hand, had no trouble at its home premiere this season and celebrated its second win. The best Berlin throwers were Johannes Thiemann and Matt Thomas with 16 points each. Alba was in the lead from the start. At the end of the first quarter it reached double digits for the first time (22:11). The lead even grew to 30 points (86:56). After that, Alba slowed down and spared some of the regulars. The Berliners remained confident until the end.
Rasta Vechta – Telekom Baskets Bonn 84:79 (43:43). – Best throwers: Kuhse (27 points), Diallo (10) for Vechta – Watson (16), Fobbs (14), Kirkwood (13) for Bonn. – Viewers: 3140.
Syntainics MBC – Basketball Löwen Braunschweig 77:85 (35:41). – Best throwers: Stove (15 points), Breunig (14), Mushidi (11) for Weißenfels – Zylka (22), Crockett (20), Tischler (13), Rorie (10) for Braunschweig. – Spectators: 2700.
Veolia Towers Hamburg – Würzburg Baskets 58:88 (36:37). – Best throwers: Hughes (12 points), King (10) for Hamburg – Perry (23), Livingston (17), Ugrai (15), Seljaas (10) for Würzburg. – Spectators: 3100.
Tigers Tübingen – ratiopharm Ulm 84:99 (48:52). – Best throwers: Jackson (24 points), Kivimäki (15), Philipps (10) for Tübingen – Figueroa (22), Jallow (20), Williams (18), Nunez (16) for Ulm. – Spectators: 3000.
Rostock Seawolves – MLP Academics Heidelberg 122:113 (101:101, 93:93, 45:47) n.2.V. – Best throwers: Smith (30 points), Alston (24), Bradley (21), Nelson (15) for Rostock – Carroll (33), Zipser (22), Whaley (15), Lasisi (12), McGuirl (10 ) for Heidelberg. – Viewers: 4065.
Alba Berlin – HAKRO Merlins Crailsheim 110:75 (59:40) – Best throwers: Thomas (16 points), Thiemann (16), Brown (15), Schneider (14), Olinde (14) for Berlin – Murray-Boyles ( 19), Oduro (13), Baggette (12) for Crailsheim. – Viewers: 10,778
EWE Baskets Oldenburg – Bayern Munich 77:67 (45:39). – Best throwers: Manning (20 points), Russell (16), Foster (11), Schoormann (10) for Oldenburg – Bonga (16), Obst (14) for Munich. – Spectators: 6200
Chemnitz 99ers – Baskets Bamberg 109:79 (54:42). – Best throwers: van Beck (26 points), Kajami-Keane (17), Garrett (16), Yebo (15), Richter (11), Lansdowne (10) for Chemnitz – Gray (14), Nelson (13), Onu (13), Copeland (11), Stanic (11) for Bamberg. – Viewers: 4592.