Baskets Bonn - Strasbourg

International - Champions League, Quarterfinals Game 1

Has the moment come to end Baskets Bonn's fantastic series of 17 victories in a row in all competitions? It is unlikely that it will happen on Wednesday, against the French team Strasbourg, in the first match of the quarterfinals of the Basketball Champions League.
The club from Germany is deservedly the leader of the domestic Bundesliga. How well Baskets Bonn plays is evidenced by the fact that they were last defeated on January 15, away to Euroleague Alba Berlin (81:76). Before that, Baskets Bonn was also on a long winning streak – nine in a row in all competitions.
Also, the extent to which Baskets Bonn is the favorite in the match against Strasbourg is evidenced by the fact that the German team has only lost once as a host since the beginning of the season! And that was at the very beginning, 88:84 against the Italian team Reggiano.
Therefore, the triumph of Baskets Bonn should not be doubted, and what should be expected is a victory with a double-digit margin. The team that excels in both directions of play, in their arena is in a series of as many as seven triumphs with a difference of at least ten points.
On the other hand, Strasbourg is in a series of as many as four defeats in a row in all competitions. And they have definite problems in defense, in the last two games they conceded at least 90 points both times.
It seems that Baskets Bonn is an extremely well-selected and balanced team this season. Seven players have at least nine points on average - and the dominant figure on the court is T. J. Shorts II. An American with the citizenship of North Macedonia, a playmaker only 175 centimeters tall, in addition to 18.3 points per match also has a great 7.9 assists and 1.3 steals on average. The team has as many as seven players who record at least one three-pointer per match. Overall, Baskets Bonn records as many as 10.2 three-pointers per match.
Strasbourg is playing drastically better in the Champions League this season (8-4) than in the French championship (disappointing 11-13). Guard Marcus Keene is a key figure on the court, scoring 20.9 points and 4.2 assists per game. If Baskets Bonn finds a way to stop him in the early stages of the duel, a convincing triumph of the hosts will absolutely not be in question.
The teams will play the second leg in France on April 11. If the score after two games is 1-1, Baskets Bonn would be the host in the decisive third match on April 18... However, it is easy to believe that the Bundesliga leader will finish the job already away next week.
Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo (Baskets Bonn) was a shooting guard during his playing career. He requires not only an attractive fast game, but also exceptional discipline in both directions of the game during all 40 minutes. And so against all rivals... Such an approach is also the key reason why the team has only been defeated once since the beginning of the year. Strasbourg will certainly only be a new episode of the excellent series of Iipsalo's German team.