Not only has it been difficult winning in their own living room this season for the Fraport Skyliners, but winning at home against the four time Beko BBL champion Bamberg has been a struggle. Since their 2005 game five loss in Bamberg, Frankfurt has only a 2-6 record at home and has had as much difficulty finding consistency against the Bavarian team as a camera guy recently had mixing up NFL superstar Calvin Megatron Johnson with running back Eddie George, singer Elton John not getting very sick recently of food poisoning on tour or super model Giselle Bunndchen admitting that husband Tom Brady wasn´t god in the Super Bowl loss to the New York Giants. However sometimes in professional sports changing a name can do wonders. Even though the Brose Baskets Bamberg kept winning after changing their arena name from Jako to Stechert, one could only hope that the Fraport Skyliners wouldn´t keep losing after the arena name change from Ballsporthalle to Fraport arena and the 2004 Beko BBL champion didn´t disappoint the faithful fans as they continued their hot play after the wins against Munich and Bayreuth by stifling Bamberg 76-68. Brose Baskets Bamberg manager Wolfgang Heyder loves his club as much as Uli Hoeness does FC Bayern Munich, but was very neutral about the name change and chances of Frankfurt before the game. “Winning a game or not has nothing to do with the arena name. In the end it is always decided on the court. We have won and lost here. Anything is possible in this league and Frankfurt can always win here”, stressed Wolfgang Heyder, After the win, a very sweaty but ecstatic Jacob Burtschi hoped that the new arena name and hot play of Frankfurt would continue. “I hope that with this win, we will have the start of a new long run. I wouldn´t mind meeting Bamberg here again in the future after this win in the Fraport arena”, smiled ex Phoenix Hagen forward Jacob Burtschi.

The Fraport Skyliners gave another great team effort, but what really stood out most in this game was the strong forceful Edward Scissorhands forcing numerous losse balls which resulted into steals and fast break points. Quite often the Fraport Skyliners had consecutive defensive stops with their annoying Edward Scissorshands that were simply to quick and active for Bamberg. “We were very active on defense and we noticed that they weren´t always taking care of the ball which gave us the chance to swipe balls away”, added Jacob Burtschi. The team has played super defense the last months and it seems like their quick hands are really coming into the spotlight now. “Coach has been talking about pressure defense the whole week. It really carried over into the game tonight. The secret to our quick hands is anticipation”, smiled Texas native Devin Gibson. Jimmy Mckinney had a smile on his face as big as ex teammate Titus Ivory after the game and was as quick as lightening commenting who has the quickest hands on the team. “Tez has the quickest hands. He is Mr everything, but Devin Gibson also is quick. We had our hands on balls more than usual, expressed St Louis native Jimmy Mckinney.

The Fraport Skyliners entered the game looking for their third win after giving up an average of 53 points per game against FC Bayern Munich and BBC Bayreuth. Three months ago, if one had even attempted the courage of saying that they could enter the playoffs, one would of laughed in your face or said you were crazy. However with less than two months to go in the regular season, the team is on a smooth and positive direction of post season play with another great team effort. “We gave a great effort today for 38 minutes. We showed that we can beat anyone in this league. Even if it took a long time, we have found ourselves as a team now. After a bad start winning games at home, we finally are winning here and we are on a good way to the playoffs which is our goal”, stressed German national player Tim Ohlbrecht. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were looking for their 16^th win in a row after destroying TBB Trier 78-36 72 hours earlier, but could never get on track in the Fraport arena as Frankfurt jumped on their backs and controlled the game. “We didn´t go into the game that we should of. We did a pretty good job picking up our defense after the first quarter, but we never found our rhythm on offense and if you turn over the ball 22 times, it will be very hard to win. Frankfurt didn´t really do any thing special on defense. They did a good job being aggressive in the passing lanes, but we didn´t take care of the ball which was the main thing”, stressed Ohio native Brian Roberts.

The Fraport Skyliners went into the game without starting point guard Michael Thompson was ill, Justin Gray and Falko Theilig and 4,880 patrons that wanted to see a basketball battle. The Brose Baskets Bamberg dressed Julius Jenkins, but didn´t play and seemed not 100% yet after his injury. The Fraport Skyliners took their rapid start from the BBC Bayreuth game into the Bamberg game jumping on them going out on a 10-2 start. How often have the Skyliners got off to bad starts in the last years and paid by exerting too much energy in the come back and losing. Frankfurt quickly showed their aggressiveness on the offense boards as German national player Tim Ohlbrecht dunked home a Mckinney miss, Jacob Burtschi nailed a three pointer, Quantez Robertson finished off a fast break with a lay in, and Ohlbrecht dunked again after getting a sweet swing in pass from Burtschi. Bamberg seemed like they were going for a Sunday stroll in the Bavarian countryside lacking intensity on defense. Bamberg finally got a big three point fast ball bomb from Anton Gavel who shoots as if there is a contest how quickly he can get the ball into the hole. However that shot was quickly silenced by consecutive Mckinney three pointers as Frankfurt led 16-7. Frankfurt kept being a force on the offensive boards getting second chance points from Burtschi and Gibson as Bamberg trailed 20-9. Gibson kept up his potent offensive play scooting into the zone and then finding the space for a mid distance jumper which couldn´t have been any better by NBA superstar Chris Paul. Mckinney kept up his hot shooting with a jumper from the right wing and then from the left wing. “Frankfurt got off to a good start playing aggressive defense which led too many points. Mckinney hit many shots and Bamberg seemed surprsied by the Frankfurt start and weren´t aggressive on defense”, stressed Frankfurt Skyliner PRO B player Jan Novak. “Right before the game started, we heard how Bamberg didn´t give us any respect saying that we weren´t at their level. This really motivated us in the first quarter”, said Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 55% form the field and 75% from outside while the Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 56% from the field and 50% from outside. Frankfurt had the huge 8-3 rebound edge and only three turnovers while Bamberg had eight turnovers.

It is really only a matter of time until Euroleague team Bamberg fight out of their funk and start producing which they did at the start of the second quarter going on a 7-0 run to trail only 26-22. The Brose Baskets Bamberg played some appetizing inside out basketball as slam dunk specialist Marcus Slaughter scored with a fade away jumper and lay in after a nice pick and roll with Roberts and Gavel nailed a line drive three pointer. Frankfurt lost a bit of concentration on defense, but ex NBA player Jermareo Davidson picked up the slack hitting an off balance shot and pull up jumper over Slaughter while Slaughter also scored again getting a bullet pass from Gavel, but Frankfurt still led 30-24. However the Brose Baskets Bamberg were getting stronger and kept the pressure on on offense escaping on a 8-2 run to knot the game at 32-32 and making the Fraport arena from a loud bedlam atmosphere to a more tranquil church like atmosphere. The Brose Baskets Bamberg kept attacking Frankfurt inside as Roberts scored over Davidson and Slaughter scored twice with a dunk as Marius Nolte wasn´t on him and a lay in after getting a perfect lob pass from ex NBA player PJ Tucker. However the Fraport Skyliners kept the lead with a huge Johannes Herber three pointer to lead 36-33. However Bamberg neded the second quarter with a big Brian Roberts three pointer as Bamberg crept into the locker room with their first lead of the game 37-36. “Bamberg went on their run in the second quarter. Bamberg is a team that is always able to do that”, commented Jacob Burtschi. “Frankfurt had no real point guard on the floor when Gibson was on the bench with three fouls. Frankfurt let up a bit on defense. Bamberg was doing a better job attacking inside with slaughter and Tucker”, stressed Jan Novak. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 62% from the field and 43% from the three point line while the Fraport Skyliners were shooting 47% from the field and 50% from the three point line. Bambegr rebounded better in the second quarter leading the rebound battle 15-12. Bamberg had 10 turnovers while Frankfurt only had six turnovers.

In the third quarter, The Fraport Skyliners were able to get the lead back and find back to their strong play of the first quarter especially picking up the defensive intensity again holding the Brose Baskets Bamberg too only seven points. After Robertson made two free throws to give the Fraport Skyliners the lead back to 38-37, he made the play of the game intercepting a pass in front of the Skyliner bench falling out of bounds, but spinning in the air saving the ball and passing the ball to Gibson who went on the fast break slowing down the tempo a bit until Super Tez was back finding him in the corner and he riffled a pass to Ohlbrecht who was streaking into the lane for the mammoth dunk as Frankfurt led 40-37. “Tez continues to show why he is so important for the team doing things that don´t appear in the stat sheet. That steal from Tez was amazing”, stressed Jimmy Mckinney. “I thought about spinning right when I was in the air. I pride my defense after Dwayne Wade, because we are both athletic getting in the passing lanes and getting our teams extra possessions”, added Quantez Robertson. Michael Thompson who sat out the game due to illness found the play by Tez amazing as well. “Tez is always in the passing lane. He is so energetic like the Duracell bunny”, joked Michael Thompson. Bamberg hung around for a few more minutes and didn´t let the big Tez play take the momentum away as German Kartsen Tadda showed his quickness getting to the hole and scoring as Frankfurt led only 42-40. However Frankfurt found their stride in the last minutes going on a 10-4 run to lead 52-44 after three quarters. Frankfurt got to the free throw line and after Davidson made a runner from the wing, benefited on a Philipp Nuemann unsportsmanlike foul and were rewarded with another Burtschi Three pointer. Bamberg closed out the third quarter with a mini 4-0 run as Slaughter scored on an ally-op as ex NBA player Casey Jacobsen made the pass and Tadda hit a jumper. “Coach Katzurin told us at halftime to play the third quarter as if it were the first quarter and we did with getting loose balls, rebounding and playing good defense”, added Jacob Burtschi. The Fraport Skyliners were shooting 38% from the field and 44% from the parking lot while the Brose Baskets Bamberg were shooting 53% from the field and 30% from the parking lot. Bamberg had the 25-20 rebound edge, but 19 turnovers while Frankfurt only had nine turnovers.

The Fraport Skyliners were in control of the game, but you can never be totally sure when you are playing a team like the Brose Baskets Bamberg, but despite the four time champion staying on the heels of the Fraport Skyliners, Frankfurt stayed strong never letting the opponent get closer than five points. The Brose Baskets Bamberg got on the right track to begin of the fourth quarter going on a 5-2 run to trail only 54-49. Predrag Suput started the run with lay in high off the glass, Gibosn hit a pull up jumper and Jacobsen hit a timely three pointer. The Fraport Skyliners got some big three pointer from Johannes Herber and Jimmy Mckinney to keep the lead comfortable at 62-52. Despite a deep bench and the team using much energy, Bamberg didn´t want to totally go away. Bamberg skipper showed his confidence for young Germans Phillip Neumann and Daniel Schmidt giving them minutes in a come back instead of garbage minutes. Slaughter and Robertson then traded baskets, but Frankfurt still led 64-54. Bamberg had one last grasp of air going on a 5-0 Supur run to cut the lead to 64-59. Suput hit a turn around shot and then scored over Davidson. However Frankfurt got the momentum back hitting Bamberg right back going on a 5-0 run to put the lead to 69-59. It was Herber hitting his second big bucket of the game and Tez scored on a fast break with a thunderous dunk. “The three pointer by Herber broke the back of Bamberg”, said Jimmy Mckinney. Bamberg kept the pressure on with a mini 4-0 run to cut the Frankfurt lead to 69-63, with Suput and Roberts buckets, but the clock was running down. Bamberg then was too concerned about what was happening around the in bounds pass that they didn´t keep an eye on an open Burtschi under the hoop who got the ball and the lay in. Mckinney and Herber made free throws in the last minute to seal the win for Frankfurt who had lost the last four games to Bamberg. “We have to invest enough eneryg into each game, but we didn´t do this tonight, but Frankfurt did. It is difficult to win when you have 22 turnovers”, added Chris Fleming. “The key today was getting the free throws, getting key rebounds and some tip outs to keep the play alive as well as the Herber three pointer”, added Devin Gibson.

The Fraport Skyliners were led by Jimmy Mckinney with 19 points. Quantez Robertson added 12 points. Johannes Herber contributed 11 points and Jacob Burtschi 10 points and eight rebounds. The Brose Baskets Bamberg were led by Marcus Slaughter with 15 points. Brian Roberts added 13 points and five rebounds. Casey Jacobsen produced 11 points and Anton Gavel 10 points and six assists. The Fraport Skyliners shot 42% from the field and 50% from outside while the Brose Baskets Bamberg shot 54% from the field and 36% from outside. Bambegr won the rebound duel 31-28, but key were the 22 turnovers by Bamberg while Frankfurt only had 13 turnovers. Frankfurt also did a superb job getting 12 second chance points which helped in the first half eight fast break points. Three months ago, the Fraport Skyliners were as far away from the Beko BBL playoffs as it would be to see Jeremy Lin suit up in a Phoenix Hagen jersey, but now the Fraport Skyliners have a legitimate chance of making the playoffs if they keep up their strong play. Thw in against Bamberg will heighten their self confidence even more which they will need in the next tough games against Alba Berlin and the Artland Dragons. Mckinney knows what is most important for the Fraport Skyliners now. “This was a huge win, but really it was just a win.We can´t get too excited about it. We can´t get too high or low at this stage of the season, but stay in the middle”, warned Jimmy Mckinney.