Basketball: Coburg in the playoffs thanks to first-class team performance

After three defeats in a row recently, BBC Coburg sent out an important signal in the battle for the playoffs at direct rivals Leitershofen. The club from Westphalia won 103:89 and can no longer be ousted from the top eight in the table thanks to the away win. Coburg therefore has all the cards in its own hands on the final matchday against Ludwigsburg to secure home court advantage in the first playoff round, which it thought it had already lost.

The BBC's top scorer was shooting guard Gabriel Kuku with 27 points. A total of five Coburg players scored in double figures.

Coburg's Head Coach Patrick Seidel was visibly relieved after his team's strong performance: "We did exactly what we wanted to do in offense at the start and really hurt Leitershofen. We were then relatively stable until half-time. After the break, we had a few problems defensively after Leitershofen made a few changes and two or three minutes in attack where we didn't move the ball so well. But whenever we passed the ball and played for each other, we got very, very good shots. By applying constant pressure, we also got to the free throw line a lot and kept our cool there. But the most important thing was that we performed as a team! All the players and coaches who were there were a unit, a team! It was great fun today and overall it was a well-deserved win!"

Coburg laid the foundation for its success in the first period. The BBC got off to a flying start and led 34:18 after ten minutes after a three on the buzzer by captain Sven Lorber. Led by the outstanding Gabriel Kuku, who scored 23 of his 27 points in the first half, and a strong three-point haul, the home side deservedly went in at half-time with a 19-point lead (44:63).

However, the home side got into the game better after half-time and gradually worked its way closer to Coburg. The Kangaroos cut the deficit to just five points (83:88) midway through the final quarter, but the BBC did not allow itself to be really put in trouble that evening. The visitors always found the right answer at the right time and Adrian Petkovic and Danas Kazakevicius finally decided the game in Coburg's favor at the free throw line.

BBC Coburg now has the chance to finish the regular season in the top four against Porsche BBA Ludwigsburg next Saturday, April 6, 2020, and so secure home court in the round of 16 of the playoffs.