For a long time it looked like a clear defeat for Alba. The Berlin club trailed by 21 points. However, they turned the game around with enormous willpower and an outstanding Malte Delow.
Alba Berlin defeats Rostock after trailing by a clear margin
Only two days after losing to AEK Athens in the Champions League, Alba Berlin narrowly avoided another bitter home defeat in the German Basketball League. Thanks to an improved performance in the second half, the Berliners won 89:85 against the Rostock Seawolves. Alba thus remains second in the table. Berlin’s best scorers were the outstanding Malte Delow with 27 points and Norris Agbakoko with 18 points.
The visitors from Rostock were wide awake from the outset and hit their first three three-point shots. Alba, on the other hand, looked tired. The Berlin club was usually at a disadvantage in rebounding and so repeatedly gave the Seawolves new chances to score. The deficit reached double digits after just six-and-a-half minutes (12:23). However, Berlin continued to trail its opponents too often after that. Rostock usually encountered little resistance when scoring. And Alba also found it very difficult in offense. As a result, the deficit even grew to 19 points in the second quarter (32:51).
After the break, Alba came out of the locker room with far more energy and intensity. Led by Delow, Berlin closed the gap again point by point and tied the scores at 79:79 with just under four minutes remaining. They even took the lead for the first time in the game (85:83) with 96 seconds left. And they took it to the finish line.
Statement victory in the chasing duel: Ludwigsburg rolls over Frankfurt
The MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg made a statement in the important chasing duel in the BBL and defeated Skyliners Frankfurt by a clear 97:65. After an initially evenly poised first quarter, Mikko Riipinen’s team turned on the heat in the second period and laid the foundation for its subsequent home victory with a 27:11 run. Overall, the home side impressed in particular with its depth, as seven players scored in double figures.
Frankfurt kept up well at the start, but finally lost touch in the third quarter at the latest. A 10:0 run by Ludwigsburg put an early end to any hopes of a comeback. In particular the high error rate (18 turnovers) and the weak three-point percentage made it impossible for the visitors to keep the game open.
The victory means the RIESEN (13-11) remain in the race for a direct playoff spot, while Frankfurt (10-15) is under pressure after its third defeat in a row and must not lose touch. The game’s best scorer was Isaiah Swope with 15 points.
