Everything was ready for the BC Vienna championship party in Vienna’s “Hallmann Dome”, which proved to be an impregnable fortress in 18 games for visiting teams in the basketball Superliga this season. Trophy and medals were ready. The confetti cannons were full. Beatrice Körner, the reigning Miss Europe, sang a pop song for her heart team in her golden dress at half-time.
Instead of a party alarm, there were long faces at the Wiener Fast-Meister on Saturday evening because the Gmunden Swans didn’t play as expected.
Coach Anton Mirolybov’s team didn’t come to Vienna to congratulate them, they showed BC Vienna the 107:86 (59:48) victory of what a real champion is made of. “I’m really proud of the team, that’s unbelievable,” the coach had tears of joy in his eyes after a sensational offensive spectacle by his team. The belief in defending the title, which was lost after the false start in the final series with two defeats, has returned to Gmunden. The fourth game will be played tomorrow Tuesday at Traunsee (Volksbank Arena, 7 p.m.), in which the Swans want to force a final showdown on Saturday in Vienna.
“If we win a game, then we have a run and then the whole series changes. We’re going home now and hope that we’ll come to Vienna again,” brought Toni Blazan, alongside an unleashed Carlos Novas Mateo, an important driving force Power of the Gmundner, the mood in the camp of the swans to the point. Richard Poiger, the sporting director, also believes in a turnaround. “The momentum is on our side now. Game four on Tuesday will be a basketball celebration.”
Inspired instead of frustrated
In the third game in the “Hallmann Dome” only a few Swans fans made the journey to the Vienna favorites. An organized bus trip had met with no interest and had to be cancelled. This vote of no confidence obviously did not frustrate the swans, but inspired them. Only at the start of the third game was the top favorite in the direction of the championship title on rails – it would be the second after 2013 – then the Gmunden Express picked up speed. In a stunning second quarter, Mateo and Co. scored 38 points, sinking valuable “threes” into the Vienna basket, especially from a distance.
BC Vienna coach Aramis Naglic, who was named “Coach of the Year” on Saturday night, was visibly disappointed after the first home loss of the season. “I’m a bit pissed off about the celebrations beforehand. It’s not easy to win when we and the people around celebrate too early.”
Taken from the world of opera, the phrase “It’s not over until the fat lady sings” fits perfectly with this year’s Super League Basketball finals. There was singing in the “Hallmann Dome”, but Beatrice Körner is anything but a “fat lady”. The only party that could actually take place as scheduled in an adjoining room of the sports hall on Saturday evening was a wedding celebration. Neither the bride nor the groom got a basket.
Source: Nachrichten
