The players of the basketball Bundesliga club Alba Berlin are professionals. Not only on the floor, but of course also in terms of their attitude. You should never underestimate an opponent, even if, like the Albatrosses, you lead 2-0 in a playoff series. However, before the third semi-final game against the giants Ludwigsburg (Friday, 7 p.m.) the question arises: Who should stop the team on the way to the fifth final in a row?
Top scorers take turns
“We’ve built up a good rhythm and a good sense of self-confidence,” said Alba-Forward Oscar da Silva on the sidelines of training. “It’s very nice to see how we managed to play the best basketball at the end of the season.”
In fact, the competing teams in the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) have been trying unsuccessfully to beat the reigning champions for 16 games. As the season rolled into its final stages, every player on coach Israel Gonzalez’s side seems to be in top form. The team has more than 100 points per game in the playoffs, the best of all participating teams.
The top scorers take turns. In the previous five playoff games, five different players were top scorers: against Bamberg it was Johannes Thiemann, Jaleen Smith and Oscar da Silva, against Ludwigsburg in the first game Maodo Lo, in the second game Louis Olinde then set his personal career best with 24 points on.
Ludwigsburg’s strong home record
“It also shows the quality of the team that everyone can win a game for us,” explains da Silva.
With 4.4 blocks and 42.8 rebounds on average – both also best values - Alba Berlin also rules the boards in the playoffs. So it is currently difficult to find the Achilles heel of the Berliners – which should be all the more important for their semi-final opponent Ludwigsburg and coach John Patrick.
“I think they’ll try everything to win another game at home in front of the home fans,” estimates Alba leader Thiemann. In fact, the Swabians turned up the heat regularly in front of their home crowd, with 14:3 victories, Ludwigsburg had the second-best home record in the BBL main round after Bonn.
Intensive defensive work is expected from the giants, who, with the return of Justin Simon, who was temporarily ill, can once again build on the top performer, who was voted the best BBL defender.
Gonzalez wants to take the pressure off
In the run-up to the existing hurdle, coach Israel Gonzalez wants to take the pressure off as much as possible: “I don’t want the players to feel the stress of having to win 3-0,” he clarifies. “We want to reach the final, that’s our goal. But if we lose the third game then that’s the way it is – we don’t want to put ourselves under pressure.”
Should it then work out with the 3:0 march through and the finals, the coach would certainly not mind.
Broadcast: rbb24, June 2nd, 2022, 6 p.m
Source: rbb
