Ulm lose after two overtimes in Bamberg. The fans talk their heads hot about the decisive scene of the game.
If you have to play three away games in two countries within six days, you don’t want to play two overtimes. Most importantly, he doesn’t want to lose if he’s wasting so much energy on the basketball court. And he certainly doesn’t want to lose like Ratiopharm Ulm did on Sunday in the Bundesliga in Bamberg: There are still three seconds on the clock in the second additional shift, Bamberg’s Chris Dowe climbs up to a three and there is actually contact with opponent Sindarius Thornwell. The referees around Robert Lottermoser call it a foul, Dowe hits all three free throws to win the game 115:114, Ulm coach Jaka Lakovic clamors on the field and Ulm fans clamor on social media.
Right? Probably yes. Dowe’s foot goes out very far when throwing, so a touch is almost inevitable. But that was just cleverly done by the American and sometimes something like that evens out within a game. In the scene immediately before, the referees decided that Tomas Kyzlink had fouled Jaron Blossomgame. That too could have been whistle the other way around. In any case, Blossomgame got a bonus free throw and hit the Ulm 114:112 lead.
In their hour-long discussions, the fans in both camps only agreed that they had once again seen a great basketball game between Ulm and Bamberg. A game, by the way, in which more points were scored than in any other game in this Bundesliga season. A game that the Ulmer could have won with the last throws at the end of the regular playing time and at the end of the first overtime if Karim Jallow and Blossomgame would have hit their throws. Even the very last attempt by Semaj Christon in the second additional shift was anything but hopeless.
What is remarkable from Ulm’s point of view is Jaron Blossomgame’s enormous workload: the marathon man was on the field for more than 46 minutes and with 37 points he delivered the third-best value of all players this season. Thornwell and Christon played a few minutes less, the young center Nicolas Bretzel did not play at all despite decent performances in the past few weeks. Which certainly has something to do with the fact that Sean Evans delivered his best performance in the Ulmer Dress so far in his position: eight points, nine rebounds and five assists. It was rather strange that Christoph Philipps was not on the field for the entire regular season and the first overtime and was then allowed to play for exactly 15 seconds in the second additional shift.
The Ulmer convoy went directly from Bamberg to Munich Airport and from there to Spain. In Badalona on Tuesday (8.30 p.m.) a single round of 16 match will decide who will reach the quarter-finals of the Eurocup.
Ratiopharm Ulm: Blossomgame (37 points), Thornwell (27), Christon (12), Klepeisz (10), Jallow (10), Evans (8), Günther (8), Zugic (2), Herkenhoff, Krimmer, Philipps.
Best Bamberg throwers: Mitchell (23), Sengfelder (23), Robinson (19), Dowe (15).
Best three-point shooters in Ulm: Blossomgame (6/12), Thornwell (3/6).
Best Ulmer Rebounder: Blossomgame (9), Evans (9).
Ulm hit rate: 51 percent (41/81).
Ulm rate of three: 45 percent (14/31).
Ulm free throw rate: 78 percent (18/23).
