Playing the sport of basketball involves dribbling a ball and shooting it into a hoop. Basketball [#] Basketball involves the dribbling of a ball and attempting to score points by shooting it into a hoop. - Increasing concerns for Alba as he faces Bayern and physical challenges.
Shockingly, in the intense clash with ferocious FC Bayern, Alba Berlin's injury woes have intensified.
Facing a severe lack of alternative players, their captain and world champion unable to play, and to make matters worse, their backup playmaker also hurt: The Berliners aren't just battling against championship-hungry Munich but their own bodies too. With a score of 79:67, the first final game went to the Bavarians - how much more assistance can the Berliners provide for game two on Monday night (8:30 pm/) in Munich?
There will be no surrender in spirit, assured Alba's Tim Schneider. "We fought like lions and will do it again, this time with a different outcome," he said on Dyn. "I know for a fact that we'll be back here, giving 110% and doing whatever it takes to make it 1:1."
Alba faces another difficult setback. The 11-time German champions were already missing any designated guards in the fight against the Bavarians, as all playmakers were injured. World champion and captain Johannes Thiemann had to sit out, too, as his injured patellar tendon kept him from playing. And shortly before the end, Malte Delow fell as well. "The ankle is a bit swollen," reported sporting director Himar Ojeda.
It's uncertain whether Delow and Thiemann will recover in time for the second final game of the Bundesliga (BBL) series. "We have to wait and see," said Ojeda. "We have to see that day by day," commented coach Israel Gonzalez equally cautiously.
The impact of the shortage of players was apparent in the final quarter of an enthralling match. "We ran out of steam in the fourth quarter," admitted Berlin's Matt Thomas. The guests, who committed an undignified 20 turnovers throughout the game, failed to score a basket until the last minute - Bayern had already secured the victory with a brilliant defense long before.
Laso's declaration to his Bayern
And the Munich team will not show mercy to the wounded opponents in the remaining games of the series - the yearning for the Bundesliga trophy after four disappointing years without a cup is too strong. Coach Pablo Laso won't soften in the next games, aiming for a 2:0 to return to Berlin. "I told my players: This is just the beginning," insisted the Spaniard.
His key players don't require any further encouragement. Former NBA champion Serge Ibaka demanded: "We have to work just as hard as today. And we have to do it even better." Captain Vladimir Lucic, with 17 points the top scorer of the match, stressed: "It's only 1:0, Alba is a massive team. We have to be ready for the next match."
Who will succumb to the "cat and mouse game"?
