Hamburg Towers: Hollatz hot for BBL duel with arch rival Chemnitz

Hamburg. April 30, 2019 remembers Justus Hollatz especially like to. On that Tuesday, the 19-year-old celebrated with his teammates Hamburg Towers by the 78:72 victory in the Chemnitz Niners the first Bundesliga promotion in club history. “That was one of the most emotional moments of my life. It was really cool then to celebrate with the 300 fans who had traveled with us. That is all the more appreciated these days when we play in empty halls. I miss the high fives with the fans very much, ”explains Hollatz, who with his team on Sunday (3pm, MagentaSport live) for the last home game of the year in Chemnitz, which made it into the German elite league a year after the Towers have, meets.

During the time they spent together in the 2. Bundesliga Pro A, which reached its emotional climax with the duel in the play-off semifinals, a real rivalry between the two clubs developed over the years, which continues to this day. “I would be lying if I said that I like Chemnitz, but I think the style of play they show in the BBL is remarkable. So I’m going to the game on Sunday with joy and fun, ”says the top talent of the Towers.

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Towers top scorer Taylor in the rehab final

The Hamburgers, who have won five of their six season games so far, will not go into the game with the promoted team without worries. Above all, the ongoing injury epidemic is a major headache for coach Pedro Calles (37). Against the East Germans, Hamburg have to do without top scorer Kameron Taylor (26). His adductor problems are getting better every day, but an operation against Chemnitz would come too early.

“Kameron is in the final phase of his rehab. We don’t want to risk anything and take a hasty step on his return. But the signs we received from the medical department are very positive, ”explains trainer Calles, who also cannot use the long-term injuries Hans Brase (27, knee problems) and Hendrik Drescher (20, cruciate ligament tear).

Towers prepared for failure of its center

To make matters worse, the Spaniard is also worried about his two centers. The so far so outstanding Estonian Maik Kotsar (24) fell unhappy on his elbow in the away win in Göttingen last weekend and is still having problems. “He overstretched his arm. We have to be very careful about that. We don’t yet know whether we’ll have enough for Sunday, ”said Calles. Marvin Ogunsipe (24) also threatens to miss the last home game of 2020. The Austrian had already complained about calf problems in Göttingen, but bit through. Now the muscle injury has worsened.

“If both centers were to fail, it would be a hard blow. As soon as it is certain that both guys will be missing, I’ll start thinking about how we can compensate for that. But we will be prepared for all scenarios, ”said the Towers trainer very pragmatically.

Towers are looking for reinforcements around the world

Sports director Marvin Willoughby (42) and Calles are currently looking for reinforcements for the squad around the world. It is unlikely that enforcement will be reported before the Chemnitz game.

And so it has to turn the decimated rump team against the Chemnitz Niners. Therefore Calles demands a clever demeanor against the newcomer. In the last two games against Ulm and Göttingen, the Towers had foul problems early on in the game. “We play aggressively and fouls are part of the game. The referees are also part of the game. Some allow physical and aggressive play, others just don’t. We have to read how a game is run and then adapt to it, ”says Calles.

Hollatz wants to give fans a Christmas present

The Christmas days at the Towers have also been adjusted. On December 24th, the professionals got training free. One day later, when the Americans celebrate their festival of love, the team has to appear as a unit in the edel-optics.de arena. “Last year we traveled to Bonn for the away game on December 25th. After all, we don’t have to travel this year and have a little more of the festival, ”says Hollatz, who has a slightly different Christmas ahead of him due to the corona pandemic.

“Actually we always celebrate with grandma and grandpa, but it won’t be anything this year. We usually go to church, but the circumstances mean that we won’t. So we’ll eat cookies in the afternoon, unwrap presents, and have a delicious meal in the evening, ”says the Towers professional, who with his parents, sister Josefine and brothers Joshua and Jacob, the professional at Towers rival EWE Baskets Oldenburg, is the party Love will celebrate.

The Towers fans, says Hollatz, should receive their gift from the team on Sunday. A home win against arch rivals from Chemnitz.

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