Unnerved and frustrated – Bonn takes on an unfamiliar role
Bonn’s TJ .Shorts (centre) in dialogue with teammate Sebastian Herrera
Source: pa/dpa/Stefan Puchner
Bonn’s basketball players have to deal with this 38-point bankruptcy first. After a virtually flawless season, the final coronation threatens to fail. Ulm’s trainer Gavel, on the other hand, senses the moment is right.
AExceptional player TJ Shorts was very brief after the massive defeat for his Bonn basketball players. “Everything went wrong. They made their throws, they did everything better,” said the sweaty Telekom Baskets star on Wednesday evening 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.
The extremely loud Ulm fans then want to celebrate the first coronation of their club. “I don’t care about the audience, I only hear my fans and my family in my head,” said 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.”
Bonn coach Tuomas Iisalo has meanwhile publicly counted his pros. “We showed the worst performance of the season. Of course it’s disappointing in such an important game. But we were worse in all respects and always two steps too slow from the start,” said the Finn: “It’s very frustrating for every player and coach.”
“It’s just a win. We need another one,” says Ulm’s coach
Main round winner Bonn had won 25 Bundesliga games in a row before the start of the final series and won 38 of 40 games in the national competition. Ulm, on the other hand, has already defeated champions Alba Berlin and cup winners FC Bayern Munich on their way to the final.
Ulm’s coach Anton 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 is nothing more that we should save ourselves for, ”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.
