Ludwigsburg’s basketball players didn’t win anything against the favorites from Munich, but at least they gained new self-confidence.
Five minutes before the end, the MHP giants had come within one point of the favorites FC Bayern at 65:66 – and the sold-out arena in Ludwigsburg shook. The sensation was in the air, but in the end the guests won 85:80 in front of 4,000 spectators and should go into the play-offs of the Basketball Bundesliga as first in the main round. “Obviously I’m not happy with the result,” said Giants coach Josh King, “but I’m happy with my team’s efforts.”
In fact, the team’s commitment and determination on Wednesday evening – in contrast to the last away games – could not be blamed. And the recently weak top scorer Jayvon Graves also set a good example and was once again the best scorer of the game with 21 points, ahead of Munich’s former NBA star Serge Ibaka (20). So Munich’s Spanish coach Pablo Laso said: “We could have decided the game earlier, but Ludwigsburg is also a team that can come back at any time” – after they had already trailed by eleven points.
The Munich team dominated, especially in the opening quarter, but the rest of the game was largely even. The drawback: When the giants had the lead in sight, some long-range throws just missed the target. “That’s how it is sometimes in basketball,” said King, whose team has the final game in Bonn on Sunday (3:30 p.m.), combined with the fight for seventh place, which has home advantage in the first game of the play-ins would bring. However, the Ludwigsburgers have to win by at least six points difference, the problem: all four games against the Bonn team this season were lost. Nevertheless, King emphasizes: “Of course we can beat Bonn, but the opponent goes into the game with the self-confidence that they have won all of their games against us so far this season. But we showed against Bayern that we can keep up with any team in the league.”
Even if the recently injured center Ariel Hukporti will still be missing. Regardless of his fitness, he is invited to the USA next week to prepare for the NBA draft.
2024-05-08 22:36:01
#Basketball #Bundesliga #Giants #Ludwigsburg #stand #Bayern #Munich
