‘Bad face shown’: Towers go down at home

The Veolia Towers Hamburg, who continue to be weakened, lose in front of their home crowd for the first time this BBL season. In the end, a weak first half was the decisive factor in the towers’ sixth defeat in a row. In the end, the scoreboard showed 75:96 for SYNTAINICS MBC.

The game started with a premiere in front of 3009 spectators. Jaizec Lottie, who brought a lot of momentum off the bench in recent weeks and also scored the most points for the Towers in the Eurocup during the week, was in the Wilhelmsburger starting five for the first time. And the American’s first three-pointer brought the first points for the Towers, who still had to do without captain Benedikt Turudic and Zsombor Maronka.

Six turnovers in five minutes

Brae Ivey and Jordan Barnett added from behind the three-point line – a small shower of three-pointers at the start of the game in the Inselpark Arena. The Towers are already one of the strongest teams in the BBL from outside. On average, the Towers take 30.8 three-pointers per game – the league lead – and hit a strong 40 percent of them.

But the MBC, most recently with three wins in a row, including the surprise win against double winners Bayern Munich last week, countered in the style of the Towers with three of their first five threes. In addition, the Towers lost the ball six times in the last five minutes of the first quarter – this is how you invite the opponent to take the lead, as Benka Barloschky also knows: “We throw the ball away too often in the first quarter. Then it is difficult to stop an opponent,” the sober analysis.

Significant deficit at the break

The guests were more physical and aggressive than the Towers, who tried to hold back. Coach Barloschky experienced a rollercoaster of emotions. At times the 36-year-old seemed desperate and frustrated, at other times the coach tried to help his boys with energy and motivation from outside – with little success. “I was somewhat dismayed by the performance,” said a frustrated Barloschky. The turnovers increased, but the three-pointers made did not. None of the seven three-point throws found their way into the basket in the second quarter, and the Towers were well behind at the break. (30:49)

“Stay together, don’t play the hero and don’t look at the scoreboard,” reveals Barloschky in the words of his half-time speech. Although the deficit was large, the support in the island park was unbroken. The Towers’ efforts to catch up were repeatedly and enthusiastically applauded. But a run requires defensive stops and there were simply not enough of them. The deficit was 47:66 at the end of the third quarter.

MBC fans mock Towers

The fourth quarter was just a formality. But nothing came of the Towers’ goal of at least minimizing the deficit. With Ivey (14), Lottie (17) and Barnett (12) only three Towers with a double-digit point total, plus 96 points allowed – an evening to forget for the Towers. “The MBC rules here” and “Victory, victory, away win” were echoed by the traveling fans through the arena, which had become quieter at times. “We showed a bad face for the first time in the season,” summed up a relieved Barloschky after the final whistle.

Barloschky had already announced at the beginning of the week that this was a phase that had to be overcome. But the Towers’ promising start to the new season is beginning to crack, even if the word crisis would be premature. The Towers first have time to make amends in the Eurocup, which has so far been without a win from the Towers’ perspective. On Tuesday, the Türk Türk Telekom Ankara hosts in the Inselpark before traveling to Ulm on Saturday for what is probably one of the toughest away games of the season.