Thanks to a gala performance, Alba Berlin is facing the long-awaited win of its ninth German championship. In the style of a top favorite, the capital city club won the final first leg against the MHP giants Ludwigsburg in the tournament of the basketball Bundesliga with 88:65 (46:29) and has an excellent starting position for the first championship title since 2008.
The lead for the second duel on Sunday (3:00 p.m. / Magentasport and Sport1) is 23 points, the results of both games are added up.
Cup winner Alba dominated on Friday evening in Munich from the start, the best throwers were Martin Hermannsson and Rokas Giedraitis, each with 14 points, seven Berliners scored double digits. As the conqueror of defending champion FC Bayern, Ludwigsburg was unable to compensate for the loss of the injured top player Marcos Knight in his first participation in the final. The US professional hobbled in slippers on his injured foot with a sad look through the Audi Dome.
“Alba plays very well. They are very, very strong on the defensive, ”NBA professional Dennis Schröder praised the Berlin appearance at halftime at Magentasport.
. @ PeypeySiva3 meets this buzzer at halftime and lets out his emotions on the plexiglass! ????
After a strong run in the second quarter in the final first leg against @MHP_RIESEN, we lead with 46:29. ???? pic.twitter.com/2YxNSjgdrl
— ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) June 26, 2020
The tension was palpable. When Alba build-up player Peyton Siva received his second foul after half of the first quarter, Alba managing director Marco Baldi jumped angrily on the almost empty grandstand. At the beginning, both teams tried their rhythm in attack.
Ludwigsburg missed several easy chances near the basket, Alba missed his first four three-point attempts. Only the Swede Marcus Eriksson ended the misery with his goal to 12: 8. Slowly the Alba offensive vortex got going. While giant coach John Patrick hired his team during a break, Knight stared at the gang bent into space.
Patrick also trusted his only 16 year old son Jacob in the final. When ripped off, the guard sank a distance throw from clearly behind the three-line and added to 16:19. Ludwigsburg could rely on its German youngsters: 18-year-old Lukas Herzog hit his first three-point throw in the Bundesliga.
But Alba was not impressed. With a backward dunk, Captain Niels Giffey provided the highlight of the first half. The Berliners pulled away with an 11-2 run, extending their lead to 17 points until the break. Siva hit the final siren. “We have to be more disciplined on the defensive,” said Ludwigsburg’s Thomas Wimbush at half-time.
But as in the semi-final against Oldenburg, Alba came out of the booth with great concentration and demoralized the opponent in phases. With a strong defensive, the Berliners only allowed the outsider 13 points in the third quarter. The Ludwigsburg team had fought back in all playoff games – after a gap of 30 points, the giants made the result at least a little more bearable.
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