Who follows Alba Berlin?

München – After the surprising end of defending champion Alba Berlin, one thing is certain: the basketball Bundesliga gets a new champion.

In the playoff semi-finals starting on Sunday, there will be two duels between a big favorite and a clear outsider. Nevertheless, the two series promise a lot of excitement.

Bayern Munich – ratiopharm Ulm

Actually, everyone had expected a semi-final duel between Bayern Munich and Alba Berlin. But the clash between the two arch-rivals was canceled because ratiopharm Ulm played its best basketball in time for the playoffs. The Ulmer trumped against tired Berliners and won the series 3:1. Now the team of coaching novice Anton Gavel wants to take the momentum into the series against Bayern. “We have to keep riding the wave,” Gavel said.

Munich are definitely warned. After the relatively safe 3-0 win against BG Göttingen in the quarter-finals, they know from the cup winners that it will be much more difficult against Ulm. “We have to match their intensity and energy and try to play our basketball,” said Bayern coach Andrea Trinchieri. Former Ulmer Andreas Obst also shows respect. “Of course you didn’t expect them to knock Alba out like that in the first round,” said the international. “They will continue to enjoy this underdog role.”

Telekom Baskets Bonn – MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg

The Telekom Baskets Bonn are currently the measure of all things. 19 wins in a row at the end of the main round, four wins in a row on the way to the title in the Champions League and then a largely unchallenged 3-0 at the start of the playoffs against Niners Chemnitz. Who should stop these Bonners? Whatever TJ Shorts and his teammates are doing right now, they just succeed. “We just have to keep going like this,” said the point guard from the USA, currently by far the best player in the league.

It will be exciting to see how the Ludwigsburg want to stop the Bonn Express. They have already exceeded expectations by reaching the semi-finals. Coach Josh King’s future was debated for weeks leading up to the playoffs. The giants are playing a top season. In the hot phase of the season, King lets the typical Ludwigsburg basketball play again. Aggressive, tough and intense – this is how Ludwigsburg surprisingly knocked EWE Baskets Oldenburg out of the playoffs.