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Brose Bamberg qualifies for semi-finals with 3:0 series win over Bonn

Bamberg, 05-12-2018

The German champions Brose Bamberg are the first team to qualify for the playoff semi-finals. Thanks to an expectedly quick 3:0 clean sweep over Telekom Baskets Bonn, the team of Head Coach Luca Banchi now has eight days to rest as it waits to see who its opponent will be from the quarter-final between Frankfurt and Munich. The key turning point in the series against Bonn was the strong final period in the away game in Bonn, when Bamberg trailed by 48:63, but managed to turn the tables to win 90:82 and go 2:0 up. The title-holders likewise forced Bonn to its knees at home by the margin of 75:70.

In the game in Bonn last Wednesday, the club from the Rhineland was determined to tie the series at 1:1 and put up a very plucky performance for 25 minutes in front of a sell-out crowd. After an evenly poised first half (46:50), Bonn capitalized on a number of losses of possession by Banchi’s players to stretch its lead to 15 points (48:63) by the 25th minute. A thunderous slam-dunk by Dorell Wright to make it 50:63 was like a rallying call for the reigning champs, who tightened up their defense and forced Bonn into committing mistakes. Daniel Hackett added four of his six points in this important spell, and Augustine Rubit (18 points) was also in reliable scoring form, with the result that Bamberg was back in contention at the end of the third period (63:70). Dorell Wright scored a lay-up with a bonus free throw to put the visitors within striking distance (68:70), after which Bonn held on to a narrow lead with three minutes to go (78:82). Whereas the home side’s actions in offense grew more and more nervous and hectic, Banchi’s players added quick points at the other end: A lay-up and free throws by Rubit, a slam-dunk from Radosevic, and a half-distance shot by Lo gave Bamberg a 86:82 lead in the space of 70 seconds. The champions did not let victory slip from their grasp, and top scorer Dorell Wright (21 points) ended the game and his side’s run of 12 points without reply with two free throws shortly before the end.

Neither did Bonn allow the title-holders to stroll into the semi-finals in game 3 on early Saturday afternoon. The lead changed hands frequently in the first period, as center Leon Radosevic added six points to help give the home side a narrow 18:16 lead at its end. The encounter became rougher and more intense in the second period. The reigning champs again lost possession too many times, which Bonn capitalized on to score quick points and leave Bamberg trailing by 20:26. However, the home side hit back with a 9:0 run – a slam dunk by Radosevic, a bucket from downtown by Zisis and a four-point play by top scorer Dorell Wright (17 points) – to recapture the lead and subsequently went in at half-time with a narrow 38:36 advantage despite conceding 11 turnovers. After the break, it was Augustine Rubit who came into his own in offense: The American notched up ten of his 16 points in the third period and so played a key part in putting his side 56:52 ahead after 30 minutes. In the final period, Maodo Lo (11 points) drained a three and Dorell Wright added a lay-up to extend the gap to 61:52. Lo followed that up in the 35th minute by giving Bamberg its first double-digit lead (67:56), which Nikos Zisis increased to 72:59 shortly afterwards. Bonn crept closer in the final spell, but never really had a chance of equalizing. The 75:70 home victory means that Brose Bamberg has advanced to the semi-finals for the ninth time in the last ten years.

Luca Banchi commented: “That was exactly the tough game we expected. Bonn had its back to the wall and showed what it’s capable of. So I have to express my thanks to my team. When you lead 2:0, there’s the risk of taking the game a little too lightly, but my team played with a lot of energy and intensity. We played brilliantly in defense, fought for every ball, snapped up rebounds and, despite Bonn’s pressure, limited the number of turnovers we conceded in the second half.”

Bamberg’s first semi-final encounter is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Sunday, May 20, 2018. If Skyliners Frankfurt advance against FC Bayern (they lead the playoff series 2:1), the game will be held at the Brose Arena. If FC Bayern turns the series around, Bamberg would have to travel to the Audi Dome in Munich.