Hagen. With tough defense, passion and the soft throwing hand of Brock Mackenzie: Phoenix Hagen dominates the title contender Fraport Skyliners.
The Fraport Skyliners spent the past week under the Mallorcan sun. On Germany’s favorite holiday island, it was all about getting ready for the final spurt in the 2nd Basketball Bundesliga ProA and setting new impulses in a different environment. However, an ad hoc effect did not occur one day after the return flight: Phoenix Hagen played the title contenders from Frankfurt into the ground with an excellent defense. “Malle only happens once a year,” the Phoenix fans chanted with some malice toward the end of the game when things got toxic again on the field. Followed by the classic: “You can go home!”
Photo series: Phoenix Hagen wins against Frankfurt
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Naz Bohannon. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Naz Bohannon. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
Basketball 2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen against Frankfurt Skyliners © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Dennis Nawroki. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Brock Mackenzie. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Naz Bohannon. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Brock Mackenzie. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Bjarne Kraushaar. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Kristofer Krause vs. Boocker Coplin. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Devonte McCall. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Martin Schmidt. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Nino Vrencken. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Mascot Felix. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Viewers. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Dennis Nawroki, Brock Mackenzie, Kristofer Krause and Devonte McCall. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Boocker Coplin vs. Bjarne Kraushaar. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
Basketball 2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen against Frankfurt Skyliners © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Coach Denis Wucherer. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Kristofer Krause. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Coach Chris Harris. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Viewers. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Devonte McCall. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Brock Mackenzie. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Tim Uhlemann. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Referee at the scoring table. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Naz Bohannon. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
2nd Bundesliga BBL Phoenix Hagen vs. Frankfurt Skyliners. Naz Bohannon. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
Frankfurt went home with a 74:85 (29:41) defeat, and Phoenix celebrated another brilliant performance against the Hessians in front of 2,947 spectators – they already impressed in the first leg with 91:81 and have since climbed to the top of the table. Now Phoenix is only in sixth place, but that doesn’t mean much in a balanced ProA top field, as the second place team from Frankfurt, which they just defeated, only has two points more.
We came together as a collective and that was crucial today.
Dennis Nawrocki, captain of Phoenix Hagen
“To get two wins in a row after such a series of defeats is good. It’s balm for the soul,” said Phoenix captain Dennis Nawrocki, who was in a good mood. “We came together as a collective and that was crucial. The fact that I was able to crown the victory with a good personal performance is a nice icing on the cake.”
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Siler Schneider is missing with an infection
Before the high ball, Phoenix had to cope with a personnel setback: development player Siler Schneider, one of the winning factors in the first leg, missed the game due to a gastrointestinal infection. So a lot of responsibility fell on the shoulders of the other guards, and they delivered; especially Bjarne Kraushaar, who was almost unstoppable with 8 points and 6 assists in the first half. Nawrocki also appeared in top form. The captain scattered three three-pointers in the first half.
The Hagen team shone even more in defense, where all players showed significant improvement. Phoenix made the spaces narrow, anticipated Frankfurt’s routes and consistently prevented the transition game. The Skyliners only managed 29 points in the first half, and not a single one of nine three-point attempts found its target.
Emotional leader and workhorse: Naz Bohannon plays a strong game again for Phoenix. © WP | Michael Kleinrensing
The Hagen team came out of the locker room with less energy, the offense cramped up and Frankfurt got within 43:39 with a 10:2 run – Hagen took a timeout (25th). What Phoenix did until the end of the quarter can be described as masterful: with a 19:5 run, the Hagen team played their completely overwhelmed opponent to the wall. At the back the bilious defense took hold again, while up front Brock Mackenzie was as hot as he was against Bochum at the end of January. The shooting guard gave Frankfurt ten points in the last three minutes. With the quarter score at 62:44, the Ischelandhalle was glowing.
Phoenix smarter and more passionate
At the beginning of the last quarter the time had come: after 15 failed attempts from distance, Frankfurt converted its first three-pointer in the person of Kevin McClain. The Skyliners came within ten points of the deficit twice, but the Hagen team didn’t let the victory be taken away from them. With the emotional leaders Naz Bohannon and Dennis Nawrocki as well as the smart guards Kraushaar and Mackenzie, four players took responsibility offensively. Defensively, they continued to make Frankfurt uncomfortable. A representative example of this was a scene in the 36th minute when Phoenix read every Frankfurt route and the guests were unable to get rid of the throw-in within the allotted time of five seconds. Phoenix not only played smarter, but also more passionately.
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Shortly before the end, emotions ran high again. After some nicking and the subsequent formation of a pack, not only the players Bohannon and Lorenz Brenneke received technical fouls, but also the coaches Chris Harris and Denis Wucherer, who marched towards each other and shouted at each other. All of this heated up the mood – and caused the Hagen fans to chant.
Phoenix Hagen: Nawrocki (17), Kraushaar (13, 7 Assists), Vrencken, McCall (3, 7 Rebounds), Mackenzie (23), McAllister (6), Uhlemann (2), Bohannon (14), Krause (7), Boner.
Top scorer Frankfurt: Muenkat (15), McClain (11).
Viewers: 2947.
2024-03-24 18:58:49
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