Ulm - Alba Berlin
Germany - BBl, Playoffs, Quarterfional
The Basketball Expert
In the first season of promising head coach Anton Gavel, Ulm did a solid job. They finished seventh in the Bundesliga, but more importantly, they improved as time went on. In the Eurocup quarterfinals four weeks ago, they played an extremely good game in Ankara. They didn't beat Turk Telekom, but they had lead until the middle of the fourth quarter. The convincing win in the first game of the Bundesliga quarterfinals in Berlin (64:88) is definitely a surprise, but also a confirmation of the already mentioned progress. Statistically, Ulm is the second best offense in this competition with 89.0 points on average. Brazilian players Yago dos Santos and Bruno Caboclo are leaders, while Brandon Paul brings necessary experience. When they manage to play defense like they did against Alba on Sunday, then anything is possible.
Unless they win the title, this will be a very unsuccessful season for Alba Berlin. Compared to the previous year, they kept all players. Only one change happened. Oscar da Silva left for Barcelona, and Gabriele Procida was signed. Everyone expected a step forward in the Euroleague. Not only that didn’t happen, but Alba was one of the worst teams. Already in January, they dropped out of the race for the quarterfinals. Also, Alba lost to Bayern in the German Cup semifinals, and they couldn't imagine a worse start to the Bundesliga playoffs. This team is in a bad situation and it could very easily happen that a major overhaul follows in the summer. Changes are expected in the roster, and probably also on the bench.
There is no doubt that Alba Berlin is a better team than Ulm. At least on paper. However, the impression is that bookmakers are underestimating The Sparrows. The convincing victory in Berlin is not a coincidence and we should expect Ulm to repeat the good game on their floor. Alba will certainly react and come more prepared, but the question is how much they can do at this moment. It won't be a sensation if Ulm takes a 2-0 lead here, and it is certain that they can stay close until the very end in the worst case scenario for them.
Pistol Pete
There is no doubt, that the victory of Ratiopharm Ulm away to Alba, even 88:64 in the first match of the quarter-finals of the BBL Bundesliga - was not accidental.
Not only that match showed that Alba is not a clear favorite in the second match of the quarterfinals, in which Ulm will play as the home team on May 17. Ratiopharm Ulm, quite simply, this spring continuously shows progress in form and plays more and more confidently in attack.
The best example is the previous defeat of the Ulm team. Away to Baskets Bonn, in the game played on May 7, Ulm was defeated only in overtime 85:83. Thus, the Slovakian-German coach Anton Gavel's team is practically the only one, which in recent months managed to be an equal opponent against Baskets Bonn - a club that is the clear leader of the Bundesliga BBL and the new winner of the FIBA Champions League.
Previously, since the beginning of May, Ulm beat Rostock 116:86, as well as MBC 128:122 – in both matches at home. Alba managed to beat Ratiopharm in Berlin 91:79 before the playoffs in April. But their previous duel, played last week and the mentioned triumph of the guests 88:64, showed that the playoffs are a completely different story.
Interestingly, the once excellent guard and now coach Anton Gavel is a specialist for the playoff series against Alba. He even played four times for clubs against Alba and was happy to win series all four times.
It is easy to get the impression, primarily due to Ulm's form since the beginning of spring, that the team has shown that they are worth significantly more than seventh place in the Bundesliga BBL ahead of the playoffs. At home, this proud team will want above all to repeat the high energy from the previous match. Against "The Albtrosses" in Berlin last week, Ulm managed to go on a 22-0 run from the end of the third to the middle of the fourth quarter.
The key word when it comes to the Ulm game is toughness. And the key factors in that game are the Brazilians. Yago Dos Santos scored 24 points away to Alba, and Bruno Caboclo had four steals in addition to 16 points. From a good defense, this team will look for a quick transition, and Alba has shown many times this season, especially in the Euroleague and away games in the domestic championship, that it has a problem defending the opponent's transition game.
Also, it will be important for Ulm that the team performs without a load. At only 18 years old, playmaker Juan Nunez shined in the previous game and will surely get an important role in this game as well.
Alba has the task, first of all, to reduce the number of turnovers. That was a problem in the previous game as well, and this season there have as many as 15.1 turnovers per game. Ulm is exactly the opponent that uses those situations perfectly (second in the league with 8.3 steals per game), so it can be said that Anton Gavel's team plays in a way that doesn't suit the "The Albatrosses".
The Berlin team is under pressure to equalize away from home, and is faced with personnel problems. In addition to the injured Marcus Eriksson, an important player in the rotation, Yovel Zoosman, did not play in the first match due to a knee problem. Also, Italian forward Gabriele Procida is out of the team. The favorite from Berlin enters the match with many worries. Of course, they have a chance for a break, but there is a minimal probability that it can be a convincing victory for the guests. At best, they can count on triumph in a dramatic finale.