Ulm almost BBL champion
Telekom Baskets Bonn push a lot of frustration
06/15/2023 11:26 am
Telekom Baskets Bonn are the clear favorites going into the final series of the Basketball Bundesliga. But in the best-of-five series against Ulm, they suddenly have their backs against the wall. The coach in particular is angry.
Exceptional player TJ Shorts was very brief after the massive defeat for his Bonn basketball players. “Everything went wrong. They made their shots, they did everything better,” said the sweaty Telekom Baskets star after the hearty 84:112 at Ratiopharm Ulm. The Bonners, who are so superior in the regular season, seem really battered for the first time in the final. With a score of 1: 2 in the best-of-five series, a win is needed this Friday (8:30 p.m. / Sport1 and Magentasport) to keep the chance of the first championship.
Bonn’s coach Tuomas Iisalo was even clearer – and saw the responsibility in his own team. “We had the worst performance of the season. It’s obviously disappointing in such an important game. But we were worse in every respect and always two steps too slow from the start,” said the Finn.
The expectations were completely different: Bonn, the winner of the main round, won 25 Bundesliga games in a row before the start of the final series and won 38 of 40 games in the national competition. “It’s very frustrating for every player and coach,” Iisalo noted at Magentasport on the third game in which his team had no chance.
The extremely loud Ulm fans then want to celebrate the first possible coronation of their club. On the way to the final, Anton Gavel’s team had already defeated champions Alba Berlin and cup winners FC Bayern Munich. “I don’t care about the audience, I only hear my fans and my family in my head,” said the exceptional Bonn player Shorts at Magentasport. The 25-year-old looked unnerved and frustrated on Wednesday evening, and Shorts made many mistakes. However, he does not believe that the level of defeat will also play a role in game four. “It’s a defeat. It doesn’t matter if we lose by one, two or 100 points. We have to win on Friday.”
Ulm’s coach Gavel looked rather severe right after the end of the game. Even success with a difference of 38 points did not trigger enthusiasm. “It’s just a win. We still need one. There’s nothing left for which we should spare ourselves,” said the ex-professional. They want to “do everything possible” to celebrate this victory in their own hall on Friday. A possible fifth game would take place on Sunday (3 p.m.) in Bonn.