The favorites Alba Berlin and FC Bayern Munich started the new season of the Bundesliga basketball with home wins. Hamburg Towers celebrate their first home success in the upper house. However, the first game day is also characterized by game cancellations due to corona.
Accompanied by numerous game cancellations due to the Corona crisis, the German basketball champion Alba Berlin and title contender FC Bayern Munich started the new Bundesliga season with wins. Bayern won on Sunday evening in their own hall with 90:78 (44:40) against Rasta Vechta. The day before, the Berliners celebrated a 79:66 (49:22) home win against Fraport Frankfurt.
The meetings scheduled for Saturday between medi Bayreuth and the Telekom Baskets Bonn, Jobstairs Gießen 46ers against the Mitteldeutscher BC and Hakro Merlins Crailsheim against the Niners Chemnitz had been canceled due to positive corona tests. There are no catch-up dates yet.
Berlin with the better rhythm
The preparation of Alba Berlin and Fraport Frankfurt had also been mixed up by the virus. The capital city had to complete a two-week quarantine before their 67:10 bankruptcy in the Euroleague against FC Barcelona. Against the Hessen, the team of coach Aito Garcia Reneses was much better.
You could tell that the Berliners were in a better rhythm. The guests, on the other hand, could only resume team training on Thursday. Therefore, the team of coach Sebastian Gleim had no chance for a long time and was already well behind at the break (22:49). In the final section, the Frankfurt reared up again, but even a 25-0 run did not initiate the turnaround.
Bavaria go easy on top performers
Bayern did without their top performers TJ Bray, Vladimir Lucic and Wade Baldwin in their home win against Vechta. Nevertheless, they did their duty. They could rely on match winner Nick Weiler-Babb, who put up 21 points. Munich coach Andrea Trinchieri was not satisfied. At Magentasport he said: “It wasn’t our best day, especially on the defensive. But the goal was to win and we did it.”
Hamburg historically
The Hamburg Towers celebrated a historic success against Brose Bamberg. The 78:75 (40:50) was the first home win for the North Germans in their Bundesliga history. “We won this game with heart and faith and not because we were better in terms of play. I would have allowed our fans, who were like a one behind us last season, to be here in the hall,” said Towers – Managing Director Marvin Willoughby, who cheered Jordan Swing’s two decisive free throws five seconds before the clock ran out.
In addition, co-favorite EWE Baskets Oldenburg prevailed clearly against the Löwen Braunschweig after two different halves with 111: 83 (50:50). Despite a weakness in personnel, ratiopharm Ulm won 90:77 (42:41) at s.Oliver Würzburg. The MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg won the opening game on Friday evening with 100: 73 against BG Göttingen.
s.Oliver Würzburg – ratiopharm Ulm 77:90 (17: 18,24: 24,17: 20,19: 28)
Points s.Oliver Würzburg: Ogden 19, Downs 14, Haßfurther 10, Persons 9, Z. Smith 8, Hunt 7, Albus 3, Ward 3, Hoffmann 2, Koch 2
ratiopharm Ulm: Obst 25, Caupain 19, Günther 8, Petrucelli 8, Heckmann 7, Landers 7, Wilkins 6, Holman 5, Krause 5
Alba Berlin – Fraport Frankfurt 79:66 (22:9,27:13,15:15,15:29)
Points Alba Berlin: Sikma 14, Granger 13, Lammers 12, Thiemann 11, Fontecchio 10, Giffey 8, Schneider 6, Eriksson 5
Fraport Frankfurt: Gudmundsson 21, Moore 13, Robertson 8, Murphy 7, Völler 6, Lecomte 5, Kessens 4, Vrcic 2
Hamburg Towers – Brose Bamberg 78:75 (25:26,15:24,15:14,23:11)
Points Hamburg Towers: Allen 20, Kotsar 14, Taylor 12, Swing 9, Ogunsipe 7, Shorts 6, Dileo 5, Ju. Hollatz 5
Brose Bamberg: Lockhart 20, Hall 13, Fieler 11, Kravish 10, Vitali 9, Hundt 7, Odiase 5
Löwen Braunschweig – EWE Baskets Oldenburg 83: 111 (25: 28.25: 22.17: 27.16: 34)
Points Löwen Braunschweig: Jallow 21, Robinson 13, Schilling 13, Peterka 10, Meisner 9, Mushidi 6, van Slooten 6, Allen 5
EWE Baskets Oldenburg: Breunig 17, Mahalbasic 14, Boothe 13, Hornsby 13, Paulding 13, Pressey 10, Schwethelm 9, Hobbs 8, Tadda 8, Herrera 4, Agbakoko 2
FC Bayern Munich – Rasta Vechta 90:78 (27: 16.17: 24.22: 19.24: 19)
Points FC Bayern Munich: Weiler-Babb 21, Djedovic 14, Johnson 14, Reynolds 13, Sisko 9, Flaccadori 7, Zipser 7, Amaize 3, Thomas 2
Rasta Vechta: Vorhees 17, Clifford 16, Barnett 12, Peno 10, Young 7, Hasbargen 6, Christen 5, Salum 5
