Berlin, Germany (Weltexpress). In the Berlin multi-purpose hall on the Spree between Ostbahnhof and Oberbaumbrücke on Saturday night, the duel of the pursuers of FC Bayern München is staged in the basketball league. The Tall Guys from the capital beat the Giants from Ludwigsburg with 96:86 (23:23, 30:22, 18:20, 25:21). 11 115 spectators saw a sovereign victory of the second against the third and two teams playing in yellow and black.
The albatrosses between mask man and mascot were hard to get out of the starting blocks. With 0: 8 they made a classic false start. After the first minutes, the guests, who were coached by a trainer wearing black with a long yellow tie, a real scream, led with 14:7. Although the Ludwigsburg coach named John Patrick obviously is in dire need for a style advisor.
After some time, the hosts woke up. They even took the lead with 23:21, but after the first quarter the guests equalled 23:23. Eight out of ten successful free throws contributed to the recovery of the albatrosses, while the giants were not awarded a free throw by referee Toni Rodriguez. Joshiko Saibou and Marius Grigonis on the other side threw their free throws safely.
Right at the beginning of the second quarter it was noticeable that the Berliners had only three fouls, while the guests already had nine. David McCray made a fuss after a foul on Luke Sikma, it was his third, only to receive the fourth foul immediately afterwards. Patrick got the message and took the annoyance from the field. Afterwards, despite the hard pace, the albatrosses gained the lead with 53:45 at halftime. To the end of the second quarter the Berlin team only made five indicated fouls, but Ludwigsburg 15.
The guests were able to win the third quarter with 20:18, but did not catch up decisively. Due to the fact that their aggressive field defence was now less punished. The Berliners were having a hard time making their way to the basket. Thomas Walkup. His throw brought Ludwigsburg with 65:64 back into the lead. But Berlin fought back, achieving a six-point lead. After 30 minutes, the hosts led with 71:65.
In the last quarter, it went even better for the team of coach Aito Garcia Reneses. The lead was expanded, doubled. This broke the will of the giants. The men from the middle Neckar lost strength and concentration. Lust and luck were gone.
Berlin albatrosses celebrate with their fans the victory over the Giants from Ludwigsburg. © 2018, Münzenberg Media, Photo: Stefan Pribnow
“Wake up, Walkup”, called a fan of the Giants, but in vain. The nil had to leave the field after his fifth foul. From then on, the giants played without Walkup.
Time now for Spencer Butterfield with what is termed a butterfly. This Albatross contributed 16 points to a 96:86 win of the second in the Basketball League against the third. Cheers by the crowd, and all those exuberant cheerleaders, for Marius Gregonis (14 points), Peyton Siva and Luke Sikma (both 13 points) as well.
Among the giants, Elgin Cooke (20 points) and Jeremy Senglin (15 points) stood out, while Dwayne Evans and Justin Sears reached eleven points each. The clear result, however, does not make mark of a phase-balanced gameplay. The Berliners saw a good game and an enjoyable portion of basketball.
After the 15th League victory in a row, Berlin not only draw equal with Bayern, they even overtook them. Munich had to compete in Frankfurt on Sunday, and could claim their place in the sun only with a victory. Which they did 87:83 sorry to say.
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Christopher Prescott based on a text by Ralf-Rüdiger Okudera.
