The Frankfurt Skyliners continue to ride their wave of success, winning their fourth consecutive match across all competitions. Judah Mintz emerged as the match-winner against the top British side, the London Lions. Ultimately, however, the Hessians needed a bit of luck to hold on to their lead until the final whistle.
The Skyliners got off to a flying start in their away fixture against the English side, who had been guests of the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA just a few days earlier. An ‘and-one’ from Till Pape (12 PTS, 5 REB) put Frankfurt ahead midway through the quarter, and they took that lead into the first break.
The Bundesliga side maintained their high offensive tempo in the second quarter as well. By the time Isaiah Swope (7 PTS, 4 REB) first appeared on the box score with a three-pointer, the visitors had even built up a small cushion (20:29). And they managed to extend that lead even further. Tommy Klepeisz (9 PTS) later extended the lead to +11 with a three-pointer.
After the break, the home side improved, but relied largely on the Scott/Jones duo in attack, who were responsible for a total of 29 of London’s 76 points by the end of the evening. An ‘and-one’ from the latter even levelled the score (58:58) with one minute to go before the final quarter.
Mintz puts Frankfurt on the road to victory
Although Frankfurt managed to maintain the upper hand thereafter, the Lions remained within striking distance throughout. In the closing stages, the British side noticeably stepped up their defence, making life particularly difficult for the guards Swope and Judah Mintz (20 PTS, 6/15). Coach Klaus Perwas’s team went over four minutes without scoring. The result: a run for London that led to the score being levelled once again (70:70).
Yet Frankfurt kept their nerve thanks to two three-pointers from Mintz and then had a stroke of luck right at the end. With a four-point lead and 30 seconds remaining, Klepeisz committed an offensive foul, awarding the Lions two free throws. Although Tarik Philipp converted only one, Frankfurt lost possession on the subsequent attack. Fortunately for the Hessians, their opponents failed to capitalise on the opportunity.
The Skyliners are back in action in just three days’ time, when they host the Gladiators Trier in the Cup round of 16. For one of the two teams, this will certainly bring their current winning streak to an end. The team from Trier have, in fact, been unbeaten for five matches now.
