This team wins against all odds. After Alba and Bayern, Ulm could also beat Bonn in the playoffs. The last victory for the long-awaited title would be for a long-time supervisor.
At Ratiopharm Ulm, they want to dedicate this one victory on the way to the greatest success in the club’s history to their “coachman”. In the midst of the most spectacular basketball days of the recent past, the club was suddenly torn from its serenity by the sudden death of its long-time supervisor Andi Klee – and is therefore currently going through the greatest emotional extremes.
Before the fourth Bundesliga final against Telekom Baskets Bonn on Friday (8.30 p.m. / Sport1 and Magentasport), it is therefore clear who they want to take the final step towards the long-awaited title premiere. “Kutscher another victory,” tweeted club boss Thomas Stoll, adding four crying emojis and a photo of a memorial.
The furious 112:84 against Bonner, who was overwhelmed, not only showed the enormous maturity of coach Anton Gavel’s surprise team, but also a crazy range of emotions. Before the start, the hall was darkened for a minute’s silence. Not only was it completely quiet in the sold-out arena, there were also many very embarrassed faces to be seen. “Ulmer Basketball loses much more than an employee, we lose a piece of soul, heart and passion. Take care, coachman,” wrote the club. Klee was found dead in his office after the semi-final series against FC Bayern.
Sorrow gives way to turmoil
After the minute’s silence, the sadness gave way to the hustle and bustle that arose during a basketball spectacle in the extremely loud Ratiopharm Arena. “That was the best performance Ulm has shown this season,” said top scorer Karim Jallow after 40 minutes of almost everything working out. Bonn’s strong defense fell apart completely, and the favorite, unbeaten in 25 league games up until the final series, looked helpless. “We showed the worst performance of the season. In such an important game it’s obviously disappointing,” criticized Bonn coach Tuomas Iisalo.
It looks as if, after champion Alba Berlin (3-1) and cup winner FC Bayern (3-0), Ulm could also defeat Champions League winner Bonn and thus complete one of the biggest surprises of recent basketball history. Coach Gavel, who was already a German champion as a professional, showed no signs of enthusiasm in the midst of the madness in Ulm. “It’s just one win. We still need one. There’s nothing left to save for,” Gavel said. Ulm now wants to prevent a possible game five on Sunday (3:00 p.m.) with Bonners who are strong at home.
TJ shorts eaten
So far, the outsider’s plans have worked out perfectly. Ulm’s Yago dos Santos unnerved Bonn’s star player TJ Shorts, who seemed jittery, error-prone and eaten up in game three. “Everything went wrong. They took their shots, they did everything better,” commented Shorts, who has not been at his best in the final so far. For two wins in a row, Bonn needs above all the build-up player, who wants to tick off Wednesday’s 38-point swatter quickly. “It’s a defeat. It doesn’t matter if we lose by one, two or 100 points. We have to win on Friday,” said Shorts.
Source: Stern
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