Berlin was the place to be to follow one of the greatest basketball games in recent history when ALBA Berlin defeated Bosna Sarajevo after 5 overtimes. We talked already about it but I think it is worth to come back with some echoes found about it on the Internet.
First I want to mention somebody who was present in Berlin, Jonathan Givony. In his excellent Blog about his European trip, he writes about the incredible atmosphere in the Max-Schmeling Halle and the outcoming of Bobby Brown as being the man of the night.
The gym was absolutely electric when the team started putting away the Bosnians in the exhausting fifth overtime. They called and screamed and beat their drums in such perfect unison, almost perfectly in rhythm with Bobby Brown’s dribbles. You can never underestimate the impact that rowdy fans provide exhausted athletes in key moments like that.
Brown was not only his team’s leading scorer in this game, but also the engine that carried them to victory. When they were down by 5 points with 44 seconds to go in the fourth overtime, it was him that lead the charge back into the game by putting tremendous pressure on the defense with his slashes to the rim. In the 3rd overtime when his team was down by 3 points with just a few seconds left on the clock, it was Bobby the one who stepped up and knocked down the 3-pointer in miraculous fashion, after already having saved the game with a Jerry Rice style catch in the endzone (and eventual converted layup) with 37 seconds left.
The story has also been featured on True Hoop where Henry Abbot essentially speaks about Bobby Brown and his NCAA career and his possibilities to come to the NBA. Of course the official ULEB Cup website has also an extensive after game coverage on line. Julius Jenkins talks there also about Bobby Brown’s huge game but also points out the fantastic free-throw shooting of the German team 46-of-51 (90%).
That comes from hard work starting in pre-season and drilled every day. You just go to the line focused and knock them down. Those are the easy points.
I guess this is the impact of the new coach Luka Pavicevic who came up with some of the special drills from the Balkans to help the US born players improve in this exercise.
And then of course, I have to mention the video of the local TV station TV.B which features all the close shots and especially the big three pointer by Bobby Brown at the end of the third overtime. In relation to that shot, team captain Patrick Femerling just added: “That’s what he gets paid for, point.”
So ALBA Berlin looks now heavily motivated for the upcoming duel against Brose Baskets Bamberg this Saturday (available live and free on RBB on Astra) in the German Bundesliga. However, they hope that everybody will be back in full physical condition as they used 2 ill guys onTuesday (Dojcin and Heyden) and let sit out Dijon Thompson with a minor injury.
