Basketball Bundesliga: Bamberg Baskets lose in the final quarter

Bamberg Baskets end the first half of the German Basketball League with a 6:11 record. However, the Amiel team only had to concede defeat to the German champions ratiopharm Ulm in the fourth quarter. Bamberg led 68:67 after 32 minutes and ratiopharm Ulm followed up with a 0:12 run. The end result was a 76:84 defeat.

Bamberg received more bad news before the start of the game: Justin Gray injured his hand and will be out for several weeks. Ulm was also short of substitutes, but the visitors did not show that and Bamberg soon trailed 13:21. Lukas Herzog got his side going with five points, his lay-up plus bonus free throw and Malik Johnson's floater put Bamberg 24:23 in front. However, Ulm pulled away again every time Bamberg was in front - 36:43 at half-time.

Bamberg had its best spell midway through the third quarter after trailing 48:57, when top scorer Zack Copeland started the comeback with 17 points from downtown: Adrian Nelson added five points in succession and Patrick Heckmann added a three. And Lukas Herzog landed a sugar pass to E. J. Onu, who drained an alley-oop slam-dunk to put his side 63:62 in front at the quarter buzzer. However, Trey Woodbury's three to make it 68:67 two minutes later was Bamberg's last lead - Ulm pulled away within three minutes thanks to a 0:12 run and took home the victory.

Bamberg Baskets' Head Coach Oren Amiel commented: "Ulm played very deliberately. Even when we were back in front, they never lost their cool and kept their composure. They won the game in just three minutes and pulled away. We were in the lead and then they put on a run that we couldn't stop even after two timeouts."

Bamberg Baskets face Basketball Lions Braunschweig in the second leg on Saturday, 27 January 2024. Tip-off is at 8 p.m. Bamberg won the first leg 92:78.