For Alba Berlin, with their victory in the second game of the final series in Munich, everything is suddenly possible again. Against the big favorites, they will now need an enormous effort at home to actually cause a surprise. By Lukas Witte
There were still 3:46 minutes left in the first quarter on Monday when Bayern’s Carsen Edwards converted a three-pointer to give them an 18:5 lead. At that moment, most Alba fans were probably already prepared to experience their team’s second defeat in this final series for the basketball championship against Munich and to be on the verge of elimination.
But what followed was probably Berlin’s biggest surprise of the entire season. With incredible morale and high energy expenditure Alba turned the gamestole a game from Munich in their own stadium and nullified their home advantage.
Strong Alba Berlin equalizes in Munich
Alba strikes back against Bayern in the BBL final — and how: The Berliners leave the favorites in despair in their own hall. Two US professionals stand out. Now the series goes to the capital.more
A well-known recipe for success
That White Berlin win away in a final series against Bayern and now suddenly with a chance of winning the title in the two home games on Wednesday (20:30, live im rbb|24-Stream) and Friday (6 p.m.), nobody would have expected that before the start of the BBL playoffs.
On the one hand, because Bayern’s squad this season is probably the best in terms of quality that the Bundesliga has ever seen. On the other hand, because the basketball players from the capital have had a difficult season after the upheaval last summer.
In the Euroleague they were knocked down to the bottom and in the Bundesliga there were also repeated outliers. But now, in the decisive phase at the end of the season, Alba seems to have found its DNA again. Team basketball, cohesion, high energy, great morale and tough defense – these were the keys in the past that enabled them to become German champions three times in a row from 2019 to 2022, even though they did not always have the most quality in the squad. And it was precisely this style of play that allowed them to equalize in the final series.
Without a build-up player – but with a strong defense
The 79:70-Sieg on Monday was primarily a joint effort. The injury problems that have been going on for weeks required special commitment from the remaining players. Especially since the list of absentees has not gotten any smaller. In the semi-final series against Chemnitz, Martin Hermannsson, the last playmaker in the squad and an absolute key figure in the team, was injured.
The fact that the Berliners currently have the right attitude and willpower is clearly demonstrated by the example of Malte Delow. Against Bayern, he stepped in in the unfamiliar role of point guard and did a really good job. He was a big factor in the defense in Monday’s victory. He rushed from help defense to help defense at lightning speed and made it difficult for the opponent to shoot.
Coach Israel Gonzalez is also taking an unusual approach: As in the semi-finals, he repeatedly surprised his opponents with a zone defense. While this was still classic against Chemnitz, the Spanish coach used a very sophisticated and unusual variant in the second game against Bayern, which at times drove his opponents to despair.
Alba Berlin’s resilient collective before the duel with Bayern Munich
On Saturday, Alba Berlin will start its final series against FC Bayern. Many injuries, a lack of point guards and a crazy schedule make the Berlin team the big underdog. Alba’s collective, led by semi-final hero Matt Thomas, wants to defy this. By Jakob Lobachmore
A duo comes out on top
Meanwhile, Sterling Brown and Matt Thomas are suddenly unstoppable on offense. Brown has impressed in the playoffs with his solid ball handling and is strong in one-on-one situations. On Monday, the American was able to get a lot of free throws, hitting four of seven three-point attempts and scoring 17 points. Thomas, the textbook shooter, also showed his accuracy again in Munich. In the decisive fifth game against Chemnitz, the former NBA pro secured a place in the final with incredible shots, and in game two of the final series he continued this form and again contributed 21 points to Berlin’s victory.
While both of them showed very inconsistent performances in the regular season – like the entire team – they are currently delivering consistently. The fact that the duo can be relied on is also beneficial to Johannes Thiemann. For long stretches of the season, a lot of the burden was on the captain’s shoulders and he was considered an absolute guarantee of performance. However, in the hot phase of the season, he is now struggling with an irritated patellar tendon and is only partially fit for action.
It is therefore all the more important that Brown and Thomas play so well and give Thiemann the chance to continue to recover. On Monday, things went so well that coach Israel Gonzalez could afford to send the world champion onto the court for just one minute in the last quarter. After all, he not only needs to get fit again for the current final series, but also to be in top form for the Olympic Games next month.
Munich remains the favourite
With two wins in the Arena am Ostbahnhof, Alba could now celebrate the twelfth title in the club’s history. But just one win would be enough to force a fifth game in Munich. Although the surprise win on Monday and the current strong performances are encouraging, coach Gonzalez is putting the brakes on the euphoria.
“It will be very, very difficult. Bayern have incredible players and an incredible coach,” explains the Spaniard. When asked whether the situation in the best-of-five series had changed when the score was 1:1 and whether Alba now had the psychological advantage, he answered clearly: “No, not at all.”
Of course, Bayern remain the favorites simply because of their individual quality and are likely to dominate at any time. Nevertheless, Alba has impressively proven that they are definitely capable of beating the big favorites. And with just one home win for Berlin, anything could suddenly be possible in this series.
Broadcast: The Day, 11.06.2024, 19:15
2024-06-11 13:53:26
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