Berlin – After taking the lead in the basketball Bundesliga, Alba manager Marco Baldi gave his team great praise. “After this week, we can’t ask for more. What the team has achieved is sensational. We got everything out of it,” he said after the 81:76 home win in the top game against Telekom Baskets Bonn on Sunday.
Because while the previous leader Bonn had eight days without a game, Alba had to play against European top-class players such as FC Bayern Munich, Armani Milan and Real Madrid in the same period. Four games in just eight days. “We had a tough week behind us and played a lot of good games. And then at the end of the week it’s not easy when you play against Bonn, which is rested. But when we play like that, it’s a great feeling,” said winger Louis Olinde.
The prospect of leading the table released the necessary strength. “Those are the games you have to win. And then there is the power. It’s easier to play against Bonn after a week like that than against a relegation candidate. Because that’s basically comparable to a Euroleague team. That’s where the extra energy came from,” said national player Johannes Thiemann.
Since the wave of illnesses in the team was over, Alba has been able to play to its strengths better again. The burden can again be spread over many shoulders. “It shows how deep our squad is and creates self-confidence in one’s own performance. It just helps when you can go in a bit and say we win games like that. There was a phase when we didn’t have that. That’s when you start to have doubts,” said Olinde.
Now the Berliners are back on course, having won seven of the last eight competitive games. “It is important that we have confirmed our trend. But there is still a long way to go,” said Baldi and warned against too much euphoria. The team was given the day off on Monday, and on Thursday the Euroleague will continue at Maccabi Tel Aviv (8:05 p.m. / Magentasport).
