AND ONE!

Weekly roundup for our English-speaking fans by David Hein.

Week 5 - October 22nd 2013

 

Brose follow huge EL home win with first BBL road victory

Brose Baskets Bamberg bounced back from a tough loss in the Beko BBL with a strong victory in their crucial 2013-14 Turkish Airlines Euroleague season opener at home against Strasbourg 84-70. Bamberg then followed up that performance with their first road win of the season at Eisbären Bremerhaven 86-74.

All told it was a successful week for Bamberg, who in the coming week travel to Real Madrid on Thursday, October 24 in the Euroleague and then welcome medi bayreuth in the Beko BBL on Sunday October 27.

“I think we can go pretty relaxed into the game on Thursday. That’s not to say we don’t want to win. But we are underdogs in Madrid. We have lost twice unluckily in Madrid, why shouldn’t the third time be the charm,” said Bamberg general manager Wolfgang Heyder.

“We need to answer the question, how important is it for us as a team to dominate teams, to have success in the Euroleague. The trip this week to Madrid is a whole other beast. It will be difficult with this attitude. We can do it, without question. But we need to work every day to get there,” said head coach Chris Fleming.

After losing at Artland Dragons the previous weekend, Bamberg went into the Euroleague opener on October 16 knowing they could ill afford a slip-up in the first home game against Strasbourg, who finished second in the French championship last season.

Brose struggled early against Strasbourg center combo of Alexis Ajinca and Romain Duport, who combined for nine points in helping the guests build a 15-9 lead. The Strasbourg margin was 21-16 after one quarter.

Jamar Smith came off the bench and had a strong second quarter though Strasbourg still led 28-25. John Goldsberry converted a three-point play as Bamberg started an 18-1 run to close the half with a 43-29 cushion at the break.

Brose opened the second half with a 10-3 surge to grab a 21-point lead 53-32. Strasbourg were able to pull within 59-45 but Smith’s three-pointer in the waning seconds of the third period made it 66-45. In the fourth, Bamberg failed to relinquish control of the game though they committed a few turnovers down the stretch to allow Strasbourg to within 10 points with three minutes to play. But Anton Gavel pushed it back to 80-66 and it was decided.

Smith scored 19 points while Gavel collected 16 points and six assists and Sharrod Ford picked up 11 points and seven rebounds. Maik Zirbes chipped in 10 points and Goldsberry had six points and nine assists.

“I think we rode a really good second quarter where we gained some confidence. We thought our bench would be important for us. And Smith was outstanding. He hit every big shot. Goldsberry gave us great stability at the point,” said Fleming, whose team dominated the glass 37-23 and made a 12 of 24 three-point attempts.

“I think we could have played a little bit better in the fourth, but in general, we’re really, really happy to get the first win. It’s important for our guys’ confidence. And a win by 14 points means a lot in the Euroleague.”

Zack Wright, who collected four points, five rebounds and four assists, added: “The most important thing for us is to get a win to start it off. We have to try to take care of home. If we can take care of home, we have a very high chance of making it to the next round. This is very important for us. It’s important for our morale.”

With a Euroleague win behind them, Bamberg took the long trip northward to Bremerhaven in search of their first win on the road on Sunday October 20. The Eisbären shot the ball well early and led by as many as five points in the first quarter before a Gavel three-ball gave Bamberg their first lead of the game at 22-21 with 2:30 left in the quarter. The Brose advantage was 27-23 after 10 minutes. Bamberg never gave up the lead in the second quarter and the cushion grew to eight points just before the break. The champs were ahead 46-40 at halftime.

Bamberg’s smart team play on offense helped increase the margin to double-digits at 52-42 on a Gavel-to-Zirbes basket. A Casey Jacobsen triple made it a 12-point game. Bremerhaven of course did not give up and got within seven points. But a 6-0 run left Bamberg ahead 71-58 after three periods.

Bamberg never let Bremerhaven back into the game in the fourth quarter with the lead not dipping below 11 points until the waning seconds. Brose led by as many as 16 points – 80-64 – in the final quarter.

Gavel led the team with 16 points as well as three assists and two steals while Wright had 15 points and five assists. Smith scored 12 points, Zirbes and Sharrod Ford both had 10 points and Damir Markota collected eight points and eight rebounds. Bremerhaven’s Darius Adams led all scorers with 20 points.

“In the previous road games, we always had problems getting into the game, and I thought that would be different today. But it wasn’t,” said Fleming after the game.

“It was not the level I expect from a team that has high aspirations. We won because we have more quality.” 

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