Sometimes returning back to an ex stomping ground can be as painful for a professional athlete like it is for a once cute Jerry Maguire kid Jonathan Lipnicki getting blasted by Family Guy for growing into something less than attractive, Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler falling on his face in a Paraguay hotel room shower loosing a few teeth suffering from dehydration or ex NFL star Terrell Owens giving a topless try out for NFL teams and not getting  a thumbs up from NFL legend Jerry Rice and Keyshawn Johnson. This weekend marked the return of Baldi´s Angels who are the three ex Skyliners Derrick Allen who will always have hero status in Frankfurt and 2004 Beko BBL champion head coach Gordon Herbert and 2011 Beko BBL MVP Dashaun Wood who left on less friendly terms sneaking out the back door to the German capital last summer. Charlies Angels is a popular American detective series from the 70s and had a successful movie a decade back who were a trio of hot women solving crimes, while the 8 time Beko BBL champion Alba Berlin have Baldi´s angels who solve ways to win on the court and had little difficulty getting run off the court, but moreover solved quickly how to lead their team to a demolition of their ex team 83-57. “ We three have fought hard to have a career in Berlin and now are in the process of bringing titles to Berlin. Herbert and Allen have played for titles in Frankfurt and I being the current MVP, we hope that these three angels can come together and bring titles to Berlin”, warned Detroit native Dashaun Wood. “Those angels bring much to the table. Herbert leads them, Wood does so much setting team up and creating for himself and Allen is a tough player that brings energy and goes hard to the glass”, stressed 2011 Milwaukee Bucks Draft pick Jon Leuer. “Herbert, Allen and Wood are  agreat combination. They play well together like basketball angels”, added Skyliner guard Michael Thompson. Second year man Bryce Taylor had to watch from the bench nursing a shoulder injury, but watched Baldi´s angels with enjoyment. “We have a great coach who is tough on us, but gets the best out of each player. Allen and Wood are our leaders and we know that we can count on them. They lead by example, but can be vocal. They solved a way to lead us to victory, but each guy on the team helped tonight. They didn´t need me tonight. We have a deep team. When a guy is out, others step up”, commented Bryce Taylor.

The Fraport Skyliners lost their third game in a row and if they hadn´t been saved by a Justin Gray buzzer beater against the s.Oliver Baskets Wurzburg would be 0-4, but instead have a poor 1-3 record in the once so hard to lose Fraport arena. The team didn´t give satisfactory performances against Oldenburg and Bonn and played even worse against Alba Berlin. Alba Berlinstarted the season off slow with a 1-2 record, but since their second loss in a row in Hagen, have won their last two games and seem to be on a good way now. Gordon Herbert had a smile after the win and seemed very content about coming back to an old stomping ground and the team performance. “I think our intensity in the first quarter is what got us started. We played good defense which got our confidence going. After our bad loss in Hagen two weeks ago, I think that the guys learned from that and they have gotten better. I feel for my ex players. When you play the game you are the enemy, but still I was greeted nicely and it was nice to be back. I only wish the Skyliners the best”, stressed Alba Berlin head coach Gordon Herbert. Basketball life doesn´t get any easier for the Fraport Skyliners in the next weeks and will want to forget this game as quickly as possible it was more ugly than Frankenstein suddenly appearing at your door for Halloween. “Alba Berlin beat us in every facet of the game. Our biggest problem is on defense. We seem to always allow the opponent into a rhythm in which their confidence grows and grows and then they just can´t seem to miss their shots”, warned Skyliner forward Jon Leuer.”Effort and energy were great tonight and key for the win”, stressed Dashaun Wood.

Dashaun Wood received a few boos as he was announced, but not as bad as one may have anticipated. Shortly before the jump ball, Marius Nolte had a huge grin for Dashaun Wood as they quickly greeted each other and then the game commenced. In the first minute it seemed more like Derrick Allen-Jon Leuer as both guys were trying to find their rhythm early and did hitting two shots. Leuer made a nice turn around jumper that most likely impressed Milwauke Bucks GM John Hammond who was in attendance watching the game. However, Alba Berlin quickly broke away going on a 8-2 run to lead 10-2. The biggest thorn in the side of the Fraport Skyliners was ex Skyliner Dashaun Wood who scored twice and got to the foul line. However The Fraport Skyliners quickly found an answer going on a 11-6 run to cut the Alba Berlin lead to 16-13. Allen scored inside getting an extra pass from Boston native Torin Francis and then Frankfurt struck as German national player Johannes Herber hit a three pointer scooting around a block and Jon Leuer getting an easy lay up cruising past Toron Francis like a black stallion. Gray then hit a step up jumper over Sven Schultze and Alba Berlin led only 16-13. However as quick as Frankfurt had struck, Alba Berlin matched their intensity and returned with their own 10-0 run as Frankfurt showed another inconsistency phase. Three Germans scored in a row with Lucca Staiger making a three pointer from the corner, Idbihi scoring inside getting a nice Wood pass, Schultze making a three pointer and Wood making one of his typical lay ins as Alba Berlin quickly had the comfortable 26-13 lead after one quarter. “We were ready to play in the first quarter. We found our rhythm quickly on defense making it hard for Frankfurt to run their offense. We shared the ball well and Wood found the passing lanes and got us out on transition”, stressed Bryce Taylor. Alba Berlin was shooting 63% from the field and 67% from outside while The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 36% from the field and 33% from outside. Alba Berlin led the rebound duel 9-6 and had two turnovers while Alba Berlin only had two turnovers.

Just like in the first quarter, Jon Leuer got off to a quick start making a fade away jumper, but sooner or later German national player Heiko Schaffartzik would make his presence nailing a bomb from downtown with the shot clock winding down. Alba Berlin left off from their strong first quarter going on a 14-6 run to lead 40-21. Skyliner head coach Muli Katzurin finally inserted ex NBA player Jermareo Davidson who made his debut and hit his first short a lay up getting set up by Justin Gray. It really didn´t matter where Alba Berlin wa son the floor, they hit almost everything. Serb Marko Simonovic hit a difficult runner making the bucket hard off the glass, Allen hit another typical fade away jumper and Schaffartzik another three pointer from the wing. Frankfurt wasn´t being aggressive enough giving too many open looks to Alba Berlin. Even when Alba Berlin wasn´t hitting a shot, the team was able to do most of the little things right like getting offensive rebounds or tipping rebounds to teammates. One of the few bright spots for Frankfurt was guard Michael Thompson who scored inside as Alba Berlin led only 42-23. However Alba Berlin continued to pick their spots and do what they wanted on offense like Paris Hilton does when shopping on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills going on a 7-2 run to go into halftime with the commanding 49-26 lead. In this run, Dashaun Wood dropped a three pointer and Schaffartzik didn´t feel like annoying Frankfurt with bombs, but now hurt them with two scores inside including getting a goal tending call as Tim Ohlbrecht batted his floater away. “We put our focus on defense in the second quarter. We rebounded well and we simply knocked down shots. Schaffartzik hit big shots that were back breakers for the Skyliners”, stressed Bryce Taylor. Alba Berlin were shooting 54% from the field and 42% from the three point line while The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 43% from the field and 14% from the three point line. Alba Berlin had the 18-10 rebound edge and only four turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners had 10 turnovers.

In the third quarter, everyone in the Fraport arena were waiting for a response by the Fraport Skyliners, but instead of launching a big comeback, the fans saw a low scoring third quarter as Frankfurt continued to have problems and despite the big lead, Alba Berlin wasn´t threatened by their less scoring. Alba Berlin started with a mini 4-0 run to extend their lead to 53-26 as Dashaun Wood went coast to coast with a lay in after Quantez Robertson missed a dunk and Mr ballerina Derrick Allen scored on a perfect fast break play as Wood found the Alabama native as the trailer on the play. The Fraport Skyliners then found some basketball daylight going on a 7-0 run to cut the Alba Berlin lead to 56-30. Jon Leuer found Davidson free under the basket setting up the big guy with a dunk, Gray made a fade away jumper and Johannes Herber hit a three pointer. Idbihi and Thompson then traded baskets as Alba Berlin led 58-33. Then it was time for Heiko Schaffartzik to take center stage again as he has been known for making the most wildest three pointers and this time hit an off balance shot from the corner as Thompson was all over him. Ex NBA player Kyle Weaver then scored inside who stayed very quiet in this blow out win as Frankfurt trailed 63-33. Jon Leuer then gave a little something for the fans to cheer about making a thunderous dunk over Schaffartzik from the wing. After 30 minutes the game was more than decided as Alba Berlin led 63-36. “It is sometimes difficult to keep your focus in a blow out game, but we kept our focus and continued to take away the strength of Frankfurt slowing down Leuer and Gray”, expressed Bryce Taylor. Alba Berlin was shooting 47% from the field and 37% from the parking lot while The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 37% from the field and 17% from the parking lot. Alba Berlin had the 26-24 rebound edge and only five turnovers while the Fraport Skyliners had 15 turnovers.

The fourth quarter stayed even in the offense of both teams as The Fraport Skyliners were unable to get something going in the fourth quarter as Alba Berlin stayed focus and stormed out on a 7-2 run to extend their lead to 70-38. Wood hit a three pointer and another typical road runner sprint to the hole finishing with his left hand and Schultze capitalized on a Skyliner mental mistake catching a Staiger airball and playing cherry picker and laying the ball in and Frankfurt watched. Skyliner head coach Muli Katzurin experimented more having three Germans on the floor at a time with Danilo Barthel, Falko Theilig and Fabian Franke. After a deep Wood three pointer from Hoechst train station, the Fraport Skyliners seemed to have  a last gasp of air going on a 9-1 run to cut the Alba Berlin lead to 75-50. Nolte scored inside getting a perfect behind the back pass from Gray and Jimmy Mckinney and Thompson hit three pointers. In the last two minutes Thompson scored on a nice floater and lay up and Schultze, Gray and Staiger hit three pointers. “In the fourth quarter, it was Schultze who got it going. He always works hard and is ready to play”, stated Bryce Taylor. “We were stagnant on offense, but you have to give Alba Berlin credit. They played good defense, but we could have had better ball movement and we didn’t finish on lay ups. On defense, you cant allow a guy like Schaffartzik  to get his feet set and a clear look, because then its over as we saw. We didn´t rebound well on defense and gave up too many transition baskets”, stressed Jon Leuer. Alba Berlin sport director and ex German national player Mithat Demirel was smiling before the game as if he had an inkling of what may happen and increased his smile after the big win. “We were very disciplined on defense. When we can play like that on the road then it is a big advantage. Our training has been going well the last weeks and the players are understanding more and more what it takes to win. Our good defense sparked our offense and getting and hitting open shots was a big help”, stressed Mithat Demirel.

Alba Berlin was led by Dashaun Wood with 21 points, three rebounds, four assists and four steals. Heiko Schaffartzik added 18 points and four assists. Sven Schultze and Derrick Allen chipped in with 10 points a piece. The Fraport Skyliners were led by Michael Thompson with 14 points. Jon leuer produced 13 points and eight rebounds. Justin Gray had nine points and five assists. The Fraport Skyliners were at the mercy of Alba Berlin in just about every offensive category. Alba Berlin shot over 40% from the field and from outside while Frankfurt was ok at 43% from the field, but cold again from the parking lot shooting a dismal 26%. Alba Berlin won the rebounding duel 33-31, but gave up 10 offensive rebounds. A 18-7 turnover disadvantage for the Fraport Skyliners tells another story not too mention the Alba Berlin 34-17points in the paint advantage and their 16-7 fast break points edge. Before the game Skyliner Jimmy Mckinney was all smiles after the 7 game win of his St Louis Cardinals winning the World Series, but after the loss to Alba Berlin, his mood was at an alltime low and had little explanation for the reasons of the desolate play of Frankfurt. “We have to get better in a lot of places. We have  a lot of holes. Our defense was terrible. Our bad defense led to bad offense”, stressed Jimmy Mckinney. Despite the current difficult times for The Fraport Skyliners, Mithat demirel sees hope in his ex coach Muli Katzurin. “Muli is a good coach. The roster is thin at the moment. There are many new players, but I am sure the team will find each other”, added Mithat Demirel. The Fraport Skyliners look to snap their three game losing streak in Bamberg November 5^th.