It was the best time of the year in the Pro B as it was finally time for the playoffs and the chance for 16 teams to battle for the crown and the possible climb up a league to the Pro A. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors Juniors secured the home court advantage in the playoffs thanks to a surprising loss of Erfurt to struggling team wiha Panthers, otherwise they wouldn´t have been in this position as Coburg had won their game and even jumped up the standings to position 3. However Frankfurt would have no cake walk as they met SC Rist Wedel. This was a battle of the farm teams of easyCredit BBL team Hamburg and Pro A team Fraport Skyliners. Wedel came into the playoffs playing great basketball having won 6 of their last 7 games while the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had won 3 of their last 4 games and totally destroyed Orange Academy on the last game day. On a particular very warm early spring day the Fraport Skyliners Juniors controlled the game for the most part, but got a little sloppy at the end allowing SC Rist Wedel to hurl a late come back run, but they ran out of gas as Frankfurt prevailed 88-82. “We did a good job in the game beating their press. We had good control of the game for 35 of the 40 minutes. We got a little wild at the end, but overal it was a good team performance. We prepared ourselves well for them”, stressed Fraport Skyliner junior Dusan Nikolic. SC Rist Wedel did a great job never losing focus and just fought for the entire 40 minutes, but in the end just couldn´t get over the hump. “We started slow. We allowed their offense to get comfortable. We didn´t apply enough defensive pressure for 40 minutes. They were a good shooting team. We have to start with more fire”, stressed SC Rist Wedel forward Camron Reese.

Trevian Bell from outside

Both teams found their offensive rhythm quickly as the guests got 5 rapid points from Swedish forward Daniel Johansson and a trey from German Linus Hoffmann to lead 12-6 while the Fraport Skyliners found to their three ball early as Germans Jordan Samare and Nils Leonhardt connected. Samare even entertained the fans with a bank shot. “I don´t know if he practices those, but he definitely called it”, smiled Dusan Nikolic. SC Rist Wedel did a fine job displaying team ball while Frankfurt didn´t have the needed defensive intensity early. Frankfurt just continued to heave three´s and found themselves on a 12-3 run to retake the 18-15 advantage. In the three ball of terror, Frankfurt was aided by Illinois native Trevian Bell (201-G/F, college: Lewis) who scored twice while Felix Hecker and Alvin Oniya also connected. After a runner by California native Cameron Reese who played at Akron (NCAA), the raining of three´s continued for Frankfurt as 2017 JBBL finalist Calvin Schaum scored as did Bell again who launched a deep in your face three. “That was a crazy shot, but we know he can make those. I have a lot of respect for him. He is a great player”, added Dusan Nikolic. After 10 minutes the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had the slim 24-21 lead. Frankfurt shot 47% from the field and 57% from outside including a hard to believe 0% from the two point range and had 7 rebounds and 3 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 57% from the field and 50% from outside and had 8 rebounds and 3 turnovers. “We practiced shooting a lot of three´s the last week. They were all confidence shots. We had that mind set that every three would go in”, stressed Dusan Nikolic.

Camron Reese at the FT line

In the second quarter there were three runs as the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had 2 and the guests one as they trailed by 10 points at the break. Frankfurt played top defense in the first 4 minutes halting the first 7 possessions in a row by SC Rist Wedel. Frankfurt upped their intensity and made great hustle plays stifling Wedel. The guests defended ok as Frankfurt couldn´t get more than 6 points in this phase as ex 2017 NBBL MVP Felix Hecker had a trey and Onyia added a lay in for the 30-23 advantage. However that basketball is a game of runs is no secret as the guests punched Frankfurt back with a timely 7-0 run as Johansson added 5 points again as he was always in attack mode and Reese who was a beast on the glass made a tap in to trail 32-30. But the tide changed again as Frankfurt showed their whole offensive spectrum closing out the second quarter with a lethal 11-3 run to lead 43-33 at half-time. In the run Frankfurt got 5 points from Trevian Bell who continued to lead Frankfurt´s offense with his dangerous play while Calvin Schaum and Felix Hecker also added buckets in the Frankfurt attack. Frankfurt supplied aggressive defensive pressure again forcing Camron Reese to consecutive turnovers and did a fine job getting in passing lanes. “We defended a lot better allowing only 12 points. We lifted our physicality and played hard on every possession on defense. In offense we continued to execute well and were able to build our lead”, stated Dusan Nikolic. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 50% from the field and 53% from the three point line and had 13 rebounds and 8 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 40% from the field and 29% from the three point line and had 19 rebounds and 10 turnovers.

Calvin Schaum at the FT line

In the third quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors did a great job managing their lead and never allowed SC Rist Wedel to get closer than 6 points. Frankfurt got early production from Nolan Adekunle who supplied 2 baskets while Wedel got super support from young German Al-Fayed Alegbe from the bench as he scored 5 points, but they couldn´t get any closer trailing 50-42. Bell continued to be aggressive and scored while SC Rist Wedel received back to back baskets from ex Hanau guard Niklas Krause as Frankfurt led 54-48, but couldn´t totally shake the guests. How often had the Fraport Skyliners Juniors demonstrated this season that they have so many scoring options including the young guns like Dusan Nikolic who was extra motivated in the second half scoring 6 points in 2 minutes giving his team the 63-50 lead. “I was aggressive and just tried to use my chance as best as possible. I just always try to play my game and make the most out of it. I was frustrated after having 0 points in the first half, so I came out in the second half with the attitude that I wanted to show everyone I could help”, added Dusan Nikolic. Frankfurt closed out the third quarter strong getting some more production from their talented youth as Ivan Crnjac hit a trey and Oniya and Adekunle hit free throws to lead 69-55. “We can all score on this team. We have enough weapons and are very versatile. We continued to be physical on defense. We didn´t rebound as well. Reese was tough to control on the boards”, said Dusan Nikolic. “They have a lot of offensive weapons. Plus they had good size. We are very young and they were difficult to defend”, said Camron Reese. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 55% from the field and 50% from the parking lot and had 16 rebounds and 10 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 45% from the field and 33% from the parking lot and had 28 rebounds and 17 turnovers.

Daniel Johansson with the lay in

In the fourth quarter the Fraport Skyliners Juniors had good control of the game leading by as much as 17 points, but then got sloppy in the last minutes allowing Wedel to cut the lead down to 6 points to make it interesting again. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors offense continued to execute well getting some more vital baskets from their 2 top NBBL (U-19) players Ivan Crnjac who scored on transition while Dusan Nikolic made a dunk on transition. The Frankfurt aggressive defense and super on ball pressure made Wedel uneasy all night long and forced them too many turnovers. Jordan Samare added a second three point bank shot for the very comfortable 78-61 advantage. It looked like Frankfurt would easily glide into the sunset with the win as they continued to execute in fine fashion as Nolan Adekunle scored 2 tough off balance shots and Jordan Samare added a massive 2 handed jam for the 85-73 advantage. “That was a great dunk. I think that could have been his best dunk this season”, stressed Dusan Nikolic. The minutes were winding down, but SC Rist Wedel still had some gas left as they somehow kept clawing back and went on a 11-2 run to trail Frankfurt 87-82 with a minute to go. In the run the guests got superb help from Alegbe who added 5 points as well as 3 points from 17 year old German Darren Egbe as well as a lay in from Krause. However time was running out and Frankfurt closed out the game with 2 clutch steals by Hecker and Bell. “We were nervous at the end. We thought the game was over. We made dumb turnovers to let them come back. We made 2 big steals at the end to seal the win”, stressed Dusan Nikolic. “We never gave up. We had some games this season go down to the wire. We never roll over. We need to find a way to finish a game well”, stressed Camron Reese. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors were led by Trevian bell with 18 points. Nolan Adekunle added 16 points and Jordan Samare 12 points while SC Rist Wedel was led by Linus Hoffmann with 17 points while Camron Reese also had 17 points and 13 boards. The Fraport Skyliners Juniors shot 55% from the field and 44% from outside and had 27 rebounds and 18 turnovers while SC Rist Wedel shot 45% from the field and 29% from outside and had 38 rebounds and 21 turnovers.