Alba Berlin got the next important victory in the fight for a good playoff placement.
43 hours after the hard-fought home win against Ulm won the Berlin Easter Sunday thanks to a strong final phase at BG Göttingen with 92:86 (44:53). Although Alba remains third in the table, it has played fewer games than the competition and has the fewest negative points. The best Berlin throwers were Maodo Lo with 20 points and Jaleen Smith with 16 points.
The German champions immediately found their rhythm in the game and quickly took a 13:7 lead. But it didn’t take long for the hosts to get up to speed either. Cheered on by the loud crowd, they responded with a 7-0 run and took the lead for the first time. And their dominance was now growing.
Göttingen seemed livelier and hit his throws almost at will – especially the distance throws. Alba allowed too many ball losses and often came a step too late. It was the eighth game in April for the Berliners. Göttingen had only completed half of it in the same period. Shortly before the break, Alba’s deficit went into double digits for the first time (41:51).
After the change of sides, Alba came back with more energy and focus and quickly equalized again. Now the guests also hit hard from a distance. The lead switched back and forth until the end. In the final phase, however, Alba was more alert. 51 seconds before the end, Tamir Blatt made the final score with two converted free throws.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:220417-99-947238/2 (dpa)
