Clear thing for Alba!
The Berliners sweep the Crailsheim Merlins at home in the EasyCredit Basketball Bundesliga with 110:75 from the hall. The second win of the season after the 90:81 victory on matchday 1 in Heidelberg.
Particularly emotional moment before the game: World champion Johannes Thiemann makes his big appearance. He is allowed to enter alone after the team – the hall is specially darkened. Spotlight! Light show! And then the Alba captain gets a standing ovation and mega applause for the World Cup title! “JT” looks around very touched and is presented with a framed picture by the Alba bosses.
Curious: During the game, Thiemann gets extra applause and cheers with every (!) action. That’s how much the Berlin fans love their world champion!
Dyn commentator Johannes Hülstrung: “Everyone in the hall loves JT. He deserved to be so praised in the first home game after the World Cup.”
Interesting: At Crailsheim, Leo Westermann has only been with the team since Thursday evening, is already playing his second game for the Merlins and is leading the team as if the French international (played for Zalgiris Kaunas, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce Istanbul and FC Barcelona, among others) had been there for much longer there.
The guests have no chance in the first quarter. Alba makes short work of it and is ahead 30:14 after the first ten minutes. Already a small preliminary decision.
In the second quarter, the Crailsheimers got into the game better and were at least able to shorten the score a little, including to 38:48 (17th). But shortly before the break, the Berliners picked up the pace again and went on a 9-0 run to make it 59:40. The highest leadership for Alba!
Thiemann scored twelve points by halftime and provided two assists.
Highlights Ulm – Chemnitz Ulm wins the opening game
Merlins player Fabian Bleck during the break at Dyn: “We’re just running behind. We have to be better at that. We don’t run well, which gave Berlin an advantage early on.”
Alba’s assistant coach Thomas Päch: “It’s absolutely right that Johannes receives such a reception. But he is still pretty tired because the time was also emotionally exhausting. But we’re glad he’s back.”
In the third quarter, Alba extended the lead to 84:56 (28th) and then added even more points in the fourth quarter.
Alba coach Israel Gonzales after the game at Dyn: “Not everything worked out, but we are on the right track. We haven’t played how we want to play yet. We score a lot, but still make mistakes in one-on-one duels. The ball went well for us. I am so proud of Johannes Thiemann. Now we have to concentrate on the league, the cup and the Euro League.”
After the game, Thiemann does a victory lap in the hall – and diligently signs autographs!
The other Monday games in the Basketball Bundesliga: Chemnitz Niners — Bamberg Baskets 109:79, EWE Baskets Oldenburg — FC Bayern Munich Baskets 77:67.