Basketball: Another defeat reduces Brose Bamberg's play-off chances

The away game at the MLP Academics Heidelberg on Easter Sunday turned into the next failure for Brose Bamberg, the 100:109 defeat means another bitter setback in the fight for play-off participation. Just like a week before against Würzburg, the Amiel team gave away the victory in their weak final minutes, a four-minute 0:13 run sealed the defeat.

In the first quarter, the game in the SNP Dome was even, with the lead changing back and forth eleven times. In the second period, too, no team was able to pull ahead until shortly before the break, before Jaromír Bohačík converted two free throws to give Bamberg the lead at half-time. And the beginning of the second half also looked respectable for Bamberg: Jaromír Bohačík hit a basket and a bonus free throw, Spencer Reaves then hit a three-pointer for the highest lead, 62:53.

But for the second time this season, Bamberg could not keep up their good offensive performance over 40 minutes: The Bambergers squandered their eight-point lead within two minutes and went into the final quarter with a narrow deficit. Bamberg initially regained their composure and went ahead 85:82 with Reaves' third three-pointer and a basket with a bonus free throw by top scorer Patrick Miller. But after Bohačík's second three-pointer to make it 90:86 with six minutes to go, Bamberg had used up its powder.

Four minutes without a basket, in addition to a holey defence at the back, which allowed Heidelberg's top scorers Washington, Ugrai and Lasisi to gain more and more self-confidence. Even with two time-outs, coach Oren Amiel couldn't turn his boys around, with the 0:13 run Heidelberg went ahead 90:99 and defended the lead skilfully in the last two and a half minutes. Bamberg are now two wins behind eighth-placed Würzburg and the direct comparison - with only six games left, their play-off hopes are fading.

Oren Amiel: "Congratulations to Heidelberg for the win. In the important moments at the end of the third and in the fourth quarter, the Heidelbergers found their confidence and decided the game. Defensively, both teams were not good. However, they defended better in the last minutes. When you score 100 points away from home like we did, you really can't lose a game."

Already on Wednesday evening, 12.04.2023, Brose Bamberg will host MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg at their home Brose Arena from 6:30 p.m., the Swabians had recently won again after four defeats in a row.

Further information at www.brosebamberg.de and www.easycredit-bbl.de.