After two long years where youth basketball was really put to the test and suffered, the NBBL playoffs are finally back as COVID had cancelled the playoffs the last two seasons. Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners are back in the playoffs, but didn’t have the greatest season and weren’t rewarded with an easy playoff opponent, but instead had to deal with the mighty FC Bayern Munich who came into the playoffs with a 10-3 record. Frankfurt did a great job in their first meeting at home holding the game open for along time, but then losing a 59-53 nail bitter. In the return game in Munich some weeks ago, the Bavarian squad wasn’t as generous tearing them apart 90-39 letting it rain three’s connecting on 12 and shooting 54% while Frankfurt shot a dismal 1/17 from the parking lot. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had amends to pay and sought revenge in game one in basketball City Mainhatten but it was another long working day for Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners as turnovers punished them for the whole 40 minutes as at the end it was 30 as FC Bayern Munich cruised to the comfortable 84-56 victory. ‘I felt that we moved the ball better and had better team basketball than in the game in Munich recently. We had too many turnovers. It wasn’t so much their press that gave us difficulty, but more the 1-1 defense. I felt we showed in the first and second quarters that we could play with them’, stressed Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners guard Bennet Schubert.

FC Bayern Munich exploded in the first two minutes, but then cooled down as Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners retaliated and made the game even and exciting. Fc Bayern Munich came out aggressive and explosive going on a lightening 10-0 run. In the run, they received two three’s from JBBL champion Sebastian Hartmann (193-SG-2004) and a lay in fromNBBL champion Luis Wolf. The turnover party began for Frankfurt as that led to easy baskets from the guests. But Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners fought back upping their intensity, buckling down on defense and executing well on offense as they let it rain three’s. They got some quick baskets from Joscha Zentgraf and Alexander Lagemann and really big buckets from youngsters Leif Zentgraf and Barnabas Bode as both had two apiece carrying the team for a few minutes helping them only trail FC Bayern Munich 17-16 after 10 minutes. ‘Bode has made a fine development this season. His shot has improved as has him carrying the ball forward’, stated Bennet Schubert. Both teams had combined coughed up the ball 12 times. FC Bayern Munich shot 46% form the field and 60% form outside and had 6 rebounds and 5 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 60% from the field and 75% from outside and had 6 rebounds and 7 turnovers. ‘The 10-0 Munich run was the best motivation for our comeback. We wanted to start strong, but couldn’t. We got back into the game with fight’, warned Bennet Schubert.

In the second quarter it was back and forth for a few minutes as no team could escape the other, but sooner than later FC Bayern Munich would take control of the game and never lose it again. Schubert and Serbian point guard Aleska Vucetic traded baskets in the first minutes as there would be four lead changes. FC Bayern Munich then got a big energy bucket from 15 year old Dominik Dolic that began a FC Bayern Munich run of 11-0 as the guests led 31-20. FC Bayern Munich got further support from Temoka Dongmo who hit a 20 footer, Hartmann who made a two handed dunk and Amar Licina lay as his quickness stifled Frankfurt all afternoon. The aggressive Munich defense plus their press kept Frankfurt off balance as they couldn’t find a solid rhythm. Frankfurt would find tiny spurts throughout the game, but overall couldn’t find a consistent rate of execution. A Lagemann trey and Joscha Zentgraf lay in off a back door pass from twin Leif was one of those moments where Frankfurt was tough, but they couldn’t keep it for longer periods of time to compete with FC Bayern Munich. The 5-0 Frankfurt run cut Munich’s lead down to 31-25, but the guests prompt stopped their punch with a massive kick and 8-1 run to scoot into halftime with the nice 39-26 lead. In the run FC Bayern Munich executed their offense well and got many different types of buckets. Hartmann showed a guard can get an offensive rebound and make the put back, Georg Mast executed the pick and roll perfectly with a lay in and Munich’s best defender Robbie Groh scored inside on a nifty bullet pass from Vucetic., ‘We couldn’t stay consistent. Whenever we had good phases, they would punish us with easy baskets on our turnovers’, stressed Bennet Schubert. FC Bayern Munich continued to shoot very well at 54% from the field and 57% from the three point line and had 14 rebounds and 11 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 41% from the field and 44% from the three point line and had 12 rebounds and 16 turnovers.

FC Bayern Munich kept control in the third quarter and would extend their lead to as much as 19 points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners began well forcing FC Bayern Munich to three straight turnovers and began with a 5-0 run to cut the guests lead down to 39-31 as Lagemann dropped a trey and Dusan Nikolic scored on transition. But it was the same story as whenever Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners had a strong phase of 1-2 minutes, they couldn’t build off the momentum and were plagued by mistakes. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners allowed FC Bayern Munich on a 12-2 run to extend their lead to 51-33. In the run FC Bayern Munich damaged Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners in the paint getting lay in after lay in as Frankfurt was unable to give proper resistance. FC Bayern Munich got two baskets from Vucetic, one from Licina and from Temoka Dongmo. Schubert scored a lay in and then made a trey as Frankfurt trailed only 51-36. Then came another good phase from Frankfurt as that Schubert trey began a 10-6 run to close out the third quarter and be back in striking distance trailing the heavy favorite only 57-43. In the run Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got needed aid from Bode with a trey and a floater from Julian Haskins and a lay in from Allessio Santagati. The big bull Temoka Dongmo gave Frankfurt problems as he scored at ease. ‘He is a strong guy. He didn’t overpower us, but just got by our trap. Team defense wasn’t there to slow him down’, added Bennet Schubert. FC Bayern Munich shot 55% form the field and 36% from the parking lot and they had 22 rebounds and 16 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 46% form the field and 41% from the parking lot and had 17 rebounds and 21 turnovers.

FC Bayern Munich closed out the fourth quarter overpowering Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners with 27 points while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners added only 13 points. FC Bayern Munich didn’t waste anytime and kept their offensive execution going on a potent 17-7 run to decide the game early leading 74-50. In the run FC Bayern Munich did a good job sharing the ball. Georg Mast led the charge with 8 points and two three pointers, but guys like big man Tarik Idriz contributed with 3 points, Vucetic hit for three and Dolic made a lay in. One could see that Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shifted down a gear. It wasn’t easy having to combat against so much experience and talent as FC Bayern Munich has. Many of the guys on the floor are guys that play Pro B. FC Bayern Munich did a good job overpowering Frankfurt as fatigue also kicked in and turnovers never stopped. FC Bayern Munich didn’t let up, but closed out the game well and in style with a 10-6 run. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners got a basket from Schubert and free throws from Joscha Zengraf while FC Bayern Munich got most of their damage from Licina who scored 8 points in the run. ‘We had a bad start into the fourth quarter, but still gave our all until the end. We continued to turnover the ball a lot and give them easy points. It is hard to come back when you keep doing that. Also our offense execution didn’t work’, explained Bennet Schubert. FC Bayern Munich had five players in double figures and were led by Sebastian Hartmann with 19 points and Amir Licina had 15 points and Maxwell Temoka Dongmo added 12 points while Luis Wulf added 11 points. Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners was led by Bennet Schubert with 10 points while Joscha Zentgraf had 9 points and 7 rebounds. FC Bayern Munich shot 57% from the field and 42% form outside and had 31 rebounds and 23 turnovers while Eintracht Frankfurt-Fraport Skyliners shot 42% form the field and 41% from outside and had 24 rebounds and 30 turnovers.