Basketball-The nerves play with: Alba Berlin threatens early playoff-out

We’re Still Alba Berlin – we are still Alba. The news of a fan from social networks hangs on a yellow note on the cabin entrance of the Berlin basketball players. The team stuck for a good 50 such motivating messages for the playoffs around his cabin door in the home arena. It hasn’t helped yet. After the second defeat in the second game of the Best-of-Five series against Ulm, the reigning runner-up is finally standing in front of the broken glass.

The Berliners need three victories to prevent the end of the playoffs in the quarter -finals. Two of them would have to succeed in Ulm at the best -round team of the past round. It is much more likely that the season will end in the coming days. A catch-up like last year, when you still stormed into the playoff final after a regular regular season, seems difficult to imagine. Alba may not be the Alba Berlin from the past.

Setting is right, but the throw fails

Rather, the 62: 74 home bankruptcy on Wednesday evening was the next proof that the current quality of the team was not sufficient to play at the front. “This scratches a lot about self -confidence and our honor,” Berlin’s Malte Delow openly admitted after the preliminary second defeat against Ulm. Especially bitter: When it comes to attitudes, the players could hardly be blamed. Alba fought and tried everything to take the 8182 spectators with them, including NBA star and ex-Albatross Franz Wagner as well as a national basketball coach Álex Mumbrú. Nevertheless, Ulm had 20 points ahead at the break.

“We did not find any solutions offensive, especially in the first half, and if we had some, we didn’t hit,” analyzed Delow, who could not turn any of his five throws before the break. After too many ball losses and fouls led to defeat in game one, this time it was the catastrophic litter rate. In the first half, Berlin only achieved a three -point throw in 13 attempts. At the end of the game there was a miserable triple quota of 14.8 percent. It remains that Alba can give up a game in many ways this season.

The new coach Pedro Calles has so far been unable to change that. Since the Spaniard replaced his compatriot Israel González two months ago, the Berliners have improved in defense. The team continues to fluctuate violently. The series of eight victories from the past nine games of the regular season could only hide mildly. Berlin was just able to prevent the embarrassment to miss the playoffs for the first time in the 35-year club history. But the victories are largely against teams from the lower half of the table. Against Ulm, the second of the main round, the Alba attack has now stuttered again.

It got better on Wednesday when the Baden-Württembergers in the fourth quarter with a 21-point leadership in the back took out a significant speed. Berlin was able to start a run and in the meantime shortened the gap to seven points. But two nervous distances from Ulms Philipp Herkenhoff ruined all the comeback hopes that arose. “That is currently the difference. You can see that they are very strong and confident, while our players put the many defeats in their heads this season, «said Alba sports director Himar Ojeda.

Champions League statt Euroleague

The many bankruptcies in the Bundesliga and against Europe’s top teams in the Euroleague would have meant that the Berliners simply lack confidence this season, said the Spaniard. “Building this mental strength is not easy, especially if you have a lot of young players.” The sports director should also have explained the explanation why Alba will no longer compete in the Euroleague or the EuroCup after 24 years, but in the Champions League, in which the second guard of European basketball is more likely to be found. Another thing that will be different in the future.

However, the argument that you still have a young, development -capable team that you have to give weak phases goes over the truth. The twelve Berliners, who were on the floor in game two, were 27.1 years old. The opponent was more than three years younger (23.8). Here, too, the Ulmer have now passed the eleven masters. The 22-year-old Gabriele Procida and Matteo Spagnolo were missing from Alba. But the two Italian talents are likely to be difficult to keep without the incentive Euroleague next season.

The Berlin fans therefore took hope primarily from an event at halftime. During the break, the U16 team of the Albatrosses was allowed to be cheered, which had won the German Youth Championship last weekend after an unbeaten season. At least as far as the good youth work is concerned, Alba is still Alba.