After an exciting final stage, defending champions Alba Berlin lost the opening game of basketball in the German Bundesliga against Bonn. Coach Israel Gonzalez’s team entered the match well.
Alba Berlin surprisingly lost the opening match of the German Basketball League. On Thursday evening, the defending champion was defeated in his own hall in front of 3,744 spectators against Telekom Baskets Bonn with 86:88 (48:41). Although Alba had been in the lead for a long time, they gave up winning in the final division. The best shooters from Berlin were Marcus Ericsson with 16 points and Yoffel Zussmann with 14 points.
Alba coach Israel Gonzalez had to dispense with the injured top three Johannes Thiemann, Krist Kumadji and Kresimir Nikic. But Ben Lammers got fit again in time and managed to get involved right from the start. The Berliners got off to a good start because they hit their throws right away – especially from distance. Just four minutes later, it was a double-digit lead (14:4).
But then Boone played a better role and Alba had more and more problems. Defensive reach is no longer there and more and more errors crept in during the attack. The bullets melted to one point in the middle of the second quarter (34:33). Also because Berlin newcomers Glenn Smith (the previous season’s best player) and Tamer Platt still look like foreign bodies. However, Alba managed to maintain the lead at the break. At least, Alba’s injured Johannes Thiemann was not surprised by the course of the match in front of the MagentaTV microphone: “It was clear that we were not going to escape. Bonn is a very good team for that.”
After the break, the game was more competitive. Boone fought her way back with successful long-range throws until she took the lead for the first time shortly before the end of the third quarter (65:64). I stayed tight until the end. The decision was made seconds before the end, when Alba missed the final attack with a poor pass through Luke Sekma. The American was disappointed with MagentaTV after the match: “We started well and then relaxed a lot. That was a problem during preparation.”
Alba has a chance to adjust next Tuesday. Then coach Yisrael Gonzalez’s team will receive the Fraport Skyliners Frankfurt.
Broadcast: rbb24, 09.23.2021, 10 p.m.