Now the calculations are made: The BG Göttingen and their starting position in the playoff race

After the 80:86 defeat in Crailsheim on Tuesday evening, the BG Göttingen had to cede eighth – and thus last – place, which entitles them to participate in the playoffs in the basketball league, to their opponents. Thanks to an energy performance in the final minute, the violets reduced a twelve-point deficit to six points – and thus decided the direct comparison for themselves. With this successful show of strength, however, the Göttinger can only spit in the soup for the Hakro Merlins if both teams are level on points after 34 matches played – and are competing for eighth place.

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The game in north-east Baden-Württemberg was marked by a nervous start with many fouls in a heated atmosphere in the hall, which was filled with 1,789 spectators, by the runs of both teams and by the BG losing strength in the second half. The eight rotation – Philipp Hartwich had almost four minutes of game time, Haris Hujic and Marios Giotis were not used at all – had to do hard work against a host team that was quite vulnerable. Six players were on the field for between 24 and a good 30 minutes. And in the second game within three days. For Mathis Mönninghoff, who showed a great fighting heart in this game, the game was over in the final quarter. The 30-year-old, who had not even allowed himself a two-week break after tearing his ligament at the end of March, was plagued by cramps.

When the deficit of the violets had grown to twelve points (70:82) in the final minute, it looked like double bad luck. The game was lost, the direct comparison (the BG had gone into the game with plus seven points) seemed to go to the Crailsheimer. Then things got turbulent. 37 seconds before the end, with a score of 74:86, it didn’t look as if there would be at least one ray of hope for the BG. But then Frey hit a three with a foul and sunk the due free throw to 78:86. After that, the Göttingen team forced Crailsheim to lose the ball – in return, Stephen Brown scored to make it 80:86. The BG defense didn’t allow any more points and this effort gave it a small chance to be eighth in the table at the end of the main round.

After the game, BG head coach Roel Moors spoke of a “completely deserved victory” for the Crailsheimers, in whom he saw greater will. “Only in the second quarter did we have chances to go into half-time with an even bigger lead, but we didn’t take advantage of that. In the second half, Crailsheim was much more aggressive, we didn’t play with enough intensity. Too many players didn’t show their strengths. We were always good when we had six, seven or eight players who played to their potential. That wasn’t the case today, but it was at Crailsheim,” summarized the Belgian.

With a view to the games that the three teams competing for eighth place will still play until May 8th, it is clear that BG Göttingen must always have the events in Crailsheim and Bamberg in their sights. If all three teams were to win their remaining games, the Merlins would end up with 38 points on the credit side, while Gottingen and Franconia would have 36 points – but here the direct comparison goes to Bamberg, who defeated the Violets twice. This is the simplest calculation.

If all three teams end up with the same number of points, there is a three-way comparison. “A sub-table is created, which is usually sufficient to make a decision. Everything that comes after that becomes more complicated. But we’ve never had this case before,” says Jens Staudenmayer, sporting director of the BBL. Since all three teams have already played against each other during the main round, he took a closer look at the constellation: “In a three-way comparison, BG Göttingen would have the worst cards.” He provides the explanation right away: Göttingen only has one of the four games against Bamberg and Crailsheim won, on the other hand, the Franconians and the Merlins each have two wins to their credit, so they would be tied on points. Then the direct comparison comes into play again, which would go to the Crailsheim team, who won their home game 93:79 after a 81:91 defeat in Bamberg.

The rest of the schedule for the three teams: BG will play Gießen at home on May 1st and FC Bayern Munich on May 8th. Crailsheim is challenged twice in their own hall against Frankfurt (April 29) and Chemnitz (May 7), in between the Merlins have to compete in Ulm (May 1). Bamberg plays in Heidelberg on April 29th and then two home games against Braunschweig (May 1st) and Hamburg (May 8th).

With regard to the possibility of being able to play internationally in the coming year without reaching the playoffs, Staudenmayer gives the BG hope. In addition to the two Euroleague teams Munich and Berlin, up to three BBL teams have the chance to be in the Champions League. At least two, possibly three German representatives could play in the EuropeCup. Then there’s the Fiba Europe Cup. “Teams that have finished at least twelfth in their national league can play there,” explains Staudenmayer. Since the BG Göttingen can finish tenth in the worst case, they could be there.