Hopes for a breakthrough were high. The result was all the more sobering. With a 73-85 loss in Braunschweig, Veolia Towers Hamburg suffered their 18th competitive defeat in a row across all competitions and seasons.
While Braunschweig played most of the game like a team that wants to leave the bottom of the table, the Towers once again lacked control on both sides of the court.
No turnaround in sight: Hamburg goes down in Braunschweig in basement battle
And yet there were moments that gave cause for optimism: In the middle of the game, the Towers fought their way back with a strong run, at times reducing the deficit to just two points. Coach Benka Barloschky had found the right mix on the court for a short time. This was mainly due to the duo of LJ Thorpe and Carlos Stewart. But after the break, the visitors fell back into old patterns, missing easy shots and gradually losing touch.
After the game, the Towers coach was deeply disappointed, but also self-critical: “We had a good spell at the start of the second half, when we brought the right energy. But we weren’t consistent enough to turn the game around completely. Our shooting percentage in the two-point range wasn’t good enough, even though we had many, many opportunities. That hurt us a lot. In the end, we have to accept that we simply have to be better.“
His players also struggled to find the right words. Martin Breunig, who celebrated his BBL comeback in Braunschweig, criticized the lack of mental stability: ”We can’t start a game like this 0-8. That’s a bitter setback right from the start. We have too many mental lapses that we simply cannot afford.“
Sports Director Willoughby
After the game, Managing Director of Sports Marvin Willoughby also stepped up to the Dyn microphone and made it clear how serious the situation is: ”We are at rock bottom, the lowest point you can be at right now. But we believe that we have built a culture where we stand together and do what we have to do. We have to get out of this, and we will get out of this.“
Willoughby avoided making a clear commitment to coach Barloschky. But between the lines, loyalty was evident: ”Of course, we are all dissatisfied. Benka is the one who is most sorry. We’re sticking together now, driving back together, and starting to analyze the game tomorrow morning.”
New guard on the way?
At least there is a glimmer of hope: according to the Hamburger Abendblatt, a new guard is expected to arrive in Hamburg next week to give the struggling backcourt more stability.
Until then, Barloschky’s appeal remains the motto of the hour: take responsibility, stick together, and take the “hard road.” Whether that will succeed in the current form, however, remains to be seen.
