Mario Kasun (Ex Orlando Magic) My Best Time In Life Was In Frankfurt Playing With Great Players Like Christopher Williams

Mario Kasun is a 34 year old 213cm Croatian that is a retired ex NBA player. He started his career in Croatia with Gorica (D2) and was drafted by the Los Angeles Clippers (NBA,2rd(41) in 2002. He then played for the Frankfurt Opel Skyliners from 2002-2004 winning the BBL title in2004. He played in the NBA from 2004-2006 playing for the Orlando Magic playing a total of 72 games. He then played two seasons for FC Barcelona and two years for Efes Pilsen before going home to Croatia to play for KK Zagreb where he played 9 games averaging 8.4ppg, 2.9rpg, FGP: 64.4%, FT: 78.3%; Croatian League: EuroChallenge: 2 games: 17.5ppg, 6.0rpg, 1.0bpg; injured in Nov.’10 and was off for 1 month: EuroCup Qualifying Round: 2 games: 11.5ppg, 5.5rpg; Adriatic League: 21 games: 13.3ppg, Reb-5(6.4rpg), FGP: 63.3%, FT: 67.5%. He has played for the Croatian national team playing at the 2005, 2007 and 2009 European championships. He also has won the Spanish and Turkish cups. He played for Montepaschi Siena (Italy-SerieA) in the 2012-2013 season playing 9 games averaging 6.2ppg, 3.4rpg, FGP: 58.1%, FT: 50.0%; Euroleague: 8 games: 5.0ppg, 4.0rpg, He then played for Al Wasl Dubai (United Arab Emirates-D1) and briefly for BC Levski Sofia (Bulgaria-NBL) in 2014 before retiring. He spoke to German Hoops concerning his career and death of former teammate Chris Williams.

Mario thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and how is retired basketball life treating you these days?

My life after basketball is pretty interesting and I am doing things I enjoy. I am working with motor cyles and doing Real Estate. I am really enjoying my life after basketball.

Before we talk about your long professional career, I have to ask you about your ex teammate Chris Williams who recently passed away. When did you exactly hear about his passing and what were your first thoughts about it?

Regarding Christopher, it was a huge shock. We lost a great friend. He was an amazing basketball player, but even more an amazing friend. It is pretty sad that he left so early, but I am convinced that he went to a better place.

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Marcellus Barksdale ( I Do Feel As If I Could Have An Immediate Impact In German Pro A)

Marcellus Barksdale is a 24 year old 196cm guard from Lexington, Kentucky that recently completed his first professional season in Germany with TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-ProB) averaging 17,0ppg, 6,0rpg and 3,3apg.He played at IUPUI (NCAA) form 2011-2016 playing a total of 131 NCAA games. As a senior he played 31 games averaging 8.7ppg, 5.2rpg, 1.6apg, 1.6spg, FGP: 48.6%, 3PT: 28.1%, FT: 73.1%. He spoke to German Hoops after the conclusion of the season.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Marcellus Barksdale after giving his debut as a professional in Frankfurt helping power the TG s.Oliver Wuerzburg (Germany-ProB) to 80-67 win after he contributed 13 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals.

Marcellus thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and what were your foremost basketball thoughts today?

I’m currently back in my hometown of Lexington, Kentucky. Honestly, I’ve tried to free my mind from basketball this past week to give my mind and body a chance to rest.

You and TG Wurzburg gave it a great fight, but came up short in a do or die game against the ScanPlus baskets. How disappointed were you of ending the season like this?

It’s never a good feeling after taking a loss, especially a season ending loss. Initially, I was disappointed but looking back on things, my teammates and I were able to come together and we had a special season.

You told me our last interview in January that the team had had the potential to defensively lock team down. In the three game series against the ScanPlus Baskets you allowed 80 points as a team which was also the season average. Was the opponent in the long run just too good offensively to have achieved this goal?

ScanPlus is a very talented team. I felt we were able to set the tone defensiviely in game two, which led us to a win. Ultimately, they made some huge shots in game three. That was the difference.

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Eugene Harris (Gaiteros de Zulia) I Have To Keep Pushing To Reach Heights That I Set Out For Myself

Eugene Harris is a 29 year old 193cm point guard from Pittsburgh that completed his sixth professional season and first in Germany with the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau averaging 14,3ppg, 1,7rpg, 3,4apg and shot 39% from outside. Last season he played for Siarka Tarnobrzeg (Poland-TBL): 13 games: 6.9ppg, 2.0rpg, 2.2apg, 2FGP: 32.6%, 3FGP: 25.4%, left in Jan.’16, later that month moved to KTE-Duna Aszfalt (Hungary-A Division): 11 games: 6.4ppg, 1.4rpg, 2.3apg, FGP: 57.9%, 3PT: 28.3%, FT: 75.0%. He started his basketball career in 2006 with High Point (NCAA) where he played until 2010 playing a total of 121 NCAA games. As a senior he played 30 games averaging 14.0ppg, 2.6rpg, 2.0apg, 1.1spg, FGP: 38.7%, 3PT: 34.1%, FT: 87.5%.In his first five professional seasons, he has gained vast experience having played in countries like Lithuania, Georgia, Cyprus, Macedonia, and Ukraine. He spoke to German Hoops at the conclusion of the 2016-2017 Hebeisen White Wings season.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Eugene Harris after a 2016-2017 pre season game in Hanau against the Luxemburg national team during the Basketball Aid international tour

Eugene thanks for talking to German Hoops. It was a tale of two seasons for the Hebeisen White Wings Hanau. The second half was one too forget. How disappointed were you with how the second half went and how long did it take you to digest the season?

We had a lot of missed opportunities that we didn’t take advantage of as a team and we have to learn and grow from it. Still digesting the long season but you have to eventually move on and get back to work

In the last two months, I was checking the box score every Sunday night and just continued to see loss after loss. After January 28, Hanau only won one more game. If someone had told you on January 28th that the team would go 1-10 what would you have thought?

Yes I wouldn’t have believed it whatsoever but like I said we have to learn and grow from this we faced different challenges and adversity and we continued to battle and fight each and every night, which showed great character regardless of the outcome.

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Why Can´t We Get Players Like That Haunted The Fraport Skyliners At The Point Guard Position

If iconic Boston sportscaster legend Bob Lobel was describing the Boston Celtic highlights today for channel WBZ where he was strapped in the 11pm news slot for almost 30 years from 1981-2008, he would most definitely have unwrapped one of his most famous catch phrases again concerning the 2017 Boston Celtics-Chicago Bull series. Back in the day Lobel would spice up his Celtics game reports in the highlights with the words “Why can’t we get players like that?” These magical words would surface in his report when any former player for a Boston team was shown making a big play for his new team. It was born after the Boston Red Sox traded unknown prospect Jeff Bagwell to the Houston Astros in return for journeyman pitcher Larry Anderson in 1990. Anderson didn´t pan out for Boston, while Bagwell became a star with the Houston Astros and was one of the best sluggers in the second half of the 90´s hitting 449 home runs in his career. Lobel´s catch phrase “Why can’t we get players like that” was widely emphasized in plays when the former a Boston player burned a Boston team. In his tenure as WBZ sports chef in the 80´s and 90´s he had countless examples where he could of used that phrase with ex Boston players like Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs or Nomar Garciaparra as these stood out with their new teams especially with the dreaded New York Yankees or ex New England Patriot Curtin Martin who fled to the New York Jets or ex Boston Celtic Bob Mcadoo who was injury plagued in 1979, but would move on to the glitz of the Los Angeles Lakers and win 2 NBA titles in 1982 and 1985 against Boston. In 2017 Lobel would have had a field day with 2008 Boston Celtic NBA champion Rajon Rondo who haunted his ex team in game one and two in Boston with Chicago. Not only in American sports could Bon Lobel have given his catch phrase life, but also in European basketball. Recently ex Fraport Skyliner Jordan Theodore who led Frankfurt to only their third club title last season with the Fiba Europe cup fled for the big bucks to Banvit Basketbol Kulubu (Turkey-BSL) this season and won another title with the Turkish Cup collecting MVP honors. Recently Jordan Theodore kept up his special tradition from last season where on countless occasions, he needed the ball in his hands and delivered in key situations. With time running out in the Champions League quarterfinal return game in Ludwigsburg and Banvit down by four and needing to win by five to reach the Final 4 went coast to coast and scored on an off balance shot propelling his team to Tenerife to go for their second title of the season in the Champions League Final 4. This would have been the perfect time for Lobel to share his legendary phrase “Why can’t we get players like that?. Lobel would of gone bananas in the Champions League semi-final where Theodore once again showed why he belongs to the top point guards in Europe where he scorched Monaco with a 21 point and 11 in the Champions League Final 4. This season Fraport Skyliner head coach Gordon Herbert could have sung this song with “Why can’t we get players like that” as as Theodore burned the Fraport Skyliners twice in the Champions league leading Banvit to victory over Frankfurt with 12 and 8 and 25 and 6 performances. Herbert would surely have doneabout anything for reaching the playoffs except giving away Isaac Bonga for free to have obtained Jordan Theodore this season as his misfortune of the point guard selection put the Fraport Skyliners off playoff course.

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Julian Scott (Leaving Ehingen Left A Sour Taste In My Mouth And I Want Redemption)

Julian Scott is a 26 year old 203cm forward from Sacramento, California that just completed his third professional season playing in four countries with Germany, France, Luexemburg and in Iraq. His last team was Residence Walferdange (Luxembourg-Total League) where he averaged 17,0ppg and 8,2rpg. Last season he played for the Uni Riesen Leipzig playing 23 games: Score-5(20.4ppg), Reb-2(10.5rpg), 1.7apg, 1.4spg, FGP: 50.3%, 3PT: 17.9%, FT: 66.7%. He picked up Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B Forward of the Year -16, Eurobasket.com All-German 2.Bundesliga Pro B 1st Team -16, and Eurobasket.com German 2.Bundesliga Pro B All-Imports Team -16. As a rookie, he played for TSV Quakenbrueck (Germany-2.Regionalliga) playing 16 games averaging 29.7ppg. He started his basketball career at Yuba junior college and then played two years at S.Utah (NCAA). He finished at Adams St. (NCAA2) playing 27 games: 10.8ppg, 4.0rpg, FGP: 58.5%, 3PT: 50.0%, FT: 70.2%. He spoke to German Hoops about his third professional season.

Julian thanks for talking to German Hoops. Where are you at the moment and are you already in summer mode?

Hey Miles I’m currently finishing up playing in Luxembourg. Looking forward to head back to the states and have some family time definitely.

After playing your first two professional seasons in Germany for TSV Quackenbruck and the Uni-Riesen Leipzig, you had a whirlwind third season playing in four countries. Are you relived that this season is finally over?

Yes definitely this past year was unbelievable. Would never want to go through something like that again. But on the positive side it made me tougher and I didn’t let it break me.

After being cut in pre season by German Pro A team Ehingen, you went to France to play for Gries/Oberhoffen BC (France-NM1) playing 3 games averaging 7.3ppg, 6.7rpg. How tough was it starting over after your short stay in Ehingen? You didn´t stay long in France either. What was the reason for your short stay there?

It wasn’t that tough when it came to playing for a different club. The hardest part for me was being cut due to not fitting in their system not that I wasnt good enough to do really well in that league that was probably the toughest part for me by far. When I went to France I was there to tryout against another player who had played in the same league a year prior and they decided to go with someone who had experience in that league over someone who was new to it. So a short stay but I made the most of what they gave me.

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The Miles Basketball Minute: BBL Playoff Preview FC Bayern Munich-Alba Berlin 3-0

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Bryce Taylor after a game in Frankfurt

Who could forget the amazing one on one battle last season in the easyCredit BBL cup semi final in Munich between Jordan Theodore and Jordan Taylor as the Jordan´s produced a duel on the court that wasn´t near as great as the game 2 Thomas 53 and Wall 40 point performances this week in the NBA, but for German fans they gave their all as Taylor went on to the final leading his team past the home team FC Bayern Munich and gave Alba Berlin their third cup in four years while Theodore would get revenge on Taylor in the playoffs and win his title with the Fiba Europe Cup. However after the gratifying German cup win against FC Bayern Munich, their season abruptly ended there as mentally and physically they have been a totally different team which somehow carried into this season. Last season Alba Berlin closed out the season in poor fashion having a very unsatisfactory 6-6 record and then got majorly embarrassed by the Fraport Skyliners as they got swept out of the Fraport arena as the only thing missing from their flight home to Berlin was unearthing the supermarket bags to cover their faces as they landed back at Tegel in Berlin. Except for a very potent run from November to February this season where they won 12 of 13 games including 10 in a row, it has been a very inconsistent season and especially since that run, the club has played under their worth losing 9 of 14 games as many have been wondering what has happened to the once mighty Alba Berlin that once won 7 titles in a row? This poor run from February to the playoffs has that parallel from last season as they stunk up BBL buildings until the end of the season. There are some guys that have won cup titles with Alba Berlin like Elmeden Kikanovic, Ismet Akpinar or Akeem Vargas who has two and even Nils Giffey owns one, but he has something else that none of them have. Giffey is only one of 13 players that has ever won two NCAA titles with UConn and with ex ratiopharm Ulm guard Lee Humphrey the only two that have won two and balled in the BBL. Now would be the perfect time for Giffey to remember his title runs with Uconn in 2011 and 2014 with top point guards Kemba Walker and Shabazz Napier and let some of that special inspiration carry over to his teammates, because if their play doesn´t drastically change to the better and become more consistent then Alba Berlin could experience back to back sweeps and getting the Munich broom treatment is a lot more bitter than that of Frankfurt.

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The Miles Basketball Minute: BBL Playoff Preview: Brose Bamberg-Telekom Baskets Bonn: 3-0

In the second last game of the season, Alba Berlin were embarrassed in Frankfurt 83-71 and at times made unbelievable mistakes on the court as if the 8 time BBL champion was still in pre season instead of right before high noon and the playoffs. One of the more experienced Alba Berlin players Tony Gaffney made one of those “did he really do that” turnovers when on a broken play there was a miscommunication and he threw the ball into his own end which had Niklas Kiel scoop up the loose ball and go for the easy bucket as he was all alone. This is a play that the ex Boston Celtic would want to forever erase from his memory, but then again the ex Los Angeles Laker does have other more memorable highlights from his BBL days including one that occurred a little more than 5 years ago when he was playing with the Telekom Baskets Bonn. They faced off against the then seemingly unstoppable Brose Baskets Bamberg that showcased 3 NBA players in their starting lineup with Casey Jacobson, PJ Tucker and Brian Roberts and surprisingly won game one in Bamberg 75-74 on a last second buzzer beater by his teammate Benas Veikalas. The Telekom Baskets Bonn could surely rewatch that buzzer beater from Veikalas again or just ask current German Florian Koch who saw that game from the bench as he registered a DNP for some special motivation. Then again, the Telekom Baskets Bonn don’t really need to look back for advice since they have their own array of snipers and buzzer beater shooters like Ken Horton or guys like Josh Mayo and Ryan Thompson that could make their own sweet history against Bamberg.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Bamberg forward Nicolo Melli after the 76-57 victory in Frankfurt

After missing the BBL playoffs for only the third time in the last 20 years last season, the Telekom Baskets Bonn rebounded from their trauma from last year and had a very strong season that was up to the usual Telekom Baskets Bonn standard. Despite head coach Silvano Poropat taking a leave of absence due to health problems, the team reacted quickly and brought back Predrag Krunic who had had success in Bonn more than 10 years ago. The combined work of Poropat reeling in the right character players and Krunic forming the team chemistry, it was suddenly fun again to watch games in the Telekom Dome. After a slow start losing two of three, the team then won four in a row against weaker teams, but got their self confidence growing. There best span came from February to April as they won eight of ten games. Their biggest wins of the season were against FC Bayern Munich, Alba Berlin and the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. It also helped their self confidence that they were playing a very successful Fiba Europe Cup.

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The Miles Basketball Minute: BBL Playoff Preview: EWE Baskets Oldenburg-medi Bayreuth 3-2

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing Rickey Paulding after a win in Frankfurt

German Bavarian town Bayreuth is known for it´s famous Festspiele which goes about a month from late July until late August and something the city gears up for early on as well as music lovers from all around the world get excited about already in May, but this season the basketball fanatics from the 72,000 populated city actually have something very special to get all psyched about and that’s playoff basketball. The basketball is very popular in that area so why not adopt the March Madness theme from the States and name it May madness in Bayreuth. The last time that the club was in the BBL playoffs, American president Bill Clinton was having a secret relationship with Monica Lewinsky that the world would first get wind of when the team was back in the second Bundesliga, Kevin Garnett played a solid rookie season with the Minnesota Timberwolves and wasn´t a household name yet and young medi Bayreuth German Moritz Trieb wasn´t even born yet. The year was 1996 when fans experienced playoff basketball the last time there and now they are back and hungry to make serious history again. This is the biggest basketball news story in Bayreuth since the rumored arrival of NBA superstar Kevin Durant in November 2011 that never happened.

For the EWE Baskets Oldenburg, it has been an underachieving season so far with the biggest news story of the season being the recent contract extension of Oldenburg son and legend Ricky Paulding. The well known speech from John F Kennedy in Berlin where he uttered the famous and unforgettable words “ich bin ein Berliner” may be more than 53 years old, but that remains something that every kid learns about in the history books from Englewood, New Jersey to Brisbane, Australia and Rickey Paulding recently let “Ich bin ein Oldenburger” slip his tongue and got standing ovations for minutes in the EWE arena in Oldenburg after the contract extension was announced. Paulding’s 4 words won’t ever get the world wide press or rememberance as Kennedy’s “Ich bin ein Berliner”, but in Oldenburg Paulding will always be their Kennedy. The reason for the long standing ovations and fuss about Paulding was on account of the announcement that he will remain in Oldenburg until 2019 which would give him 12 years in the BBL with one team which is as seldom seen in the BBL as it is teammate Brian Qvale attempting more than one trey a game which he did against the Telekom Baskets Bonn this season and hit both and brings his total of three point attempts in 6 professional seasons to only 14. It is just not a given in todays age of where money rules and the game is a business that a player will remain with one team for that long a period. At the end of this contract extension he will have eclipsed the longevity of Fraport Skyliner legend Pascal Roller who was 11 years with Frankfurt. With the EWE Baskets Oldenburg he has won two titles including the 2009 BBL league title and 2015 cup. He has been a 6 time BBL allstar and is in the top 5 all-time in scoring in the BBL. His middle name could be prolonged to Rickey Mr Oldenburg and consistency Paulding as he gives that name a special new meaning as he has averaged double digit scoring every season in the BBL and is having his best scoring season averaging 16,0ppg showing that he isn’t slowing down with age as he is 34 years old.

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The Miles Basketball Minute: BBL Playoff Preview: Ratiopharm Ulm-MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg 3-1

It must have been Déjà vu for Chris Babb last Sunday when he possibly caught the first quarter of his ex team Boston Celtics with whom he played 14 NBA games for in the 2013-2014 season as they somehow allowed the Washington Wizards to lead 16-0 in the first quarter in game one. It has been almost been four months since the bitter Ratiopharm Ulm cup loss to current playoff opponent the MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg that dashed their hopes of the Cup Top 4 final and technically was their first loss of the season, but didn´t interfere with their 25 game BBL regular season winning streak that ended against FC Bayern Munich on April 8. Just like in Boston, ratiopharm Ulm had a horrible first quarter in the cup affair against Ludwigsburg being scoreless for seven minutes and mustering only 7 points and allowing 21 points. In Boston the mighty Isaiah Thomas who has had his real break out season this year and easily belongs to the top 5 point guards in the NBA had a painful experience losing his tooth, but that was exactly what he needed as well as his team to get out of this woeful period and he sucked up the strain with adrenaline and dropped 33 points to help his team to the victory. In game two, he didn´t need another lost tooth as he exploded for 53 points the most points in a playoff game since Allen Iverson´s 55 in 2003. Babb who learned his basketball trade at iowa(NCAA) never played a NBA minute with Isaiah Thomas, but joined the Boston Celtics on April 12 2015 again after spending the season in the D-league with Maine and witnessed the last 6 Celtic games of the season from the bench including five against the Cleveland Cavaliars which included the 4 game sweep against Boston. Thomas was a known player in the NBA and already showed signs of becoming a superstar dropping 34 points against the Detroit Pistons. Babb probably already knew in his mind two years ago that Thomas had the potential to get to where he is now. If ratiopharm Ulm ever have a slow start in a playoff game or are suffering a very down period, Chris Babb will surely remember the Isaiah Thomas tooth caper in Boston. He also will recall how Thomas rebounded from a 3-26 shooting span against Chicago in the last three games and rebound against Washington to shoot almost 50% from outside and with or without a painful experience use that as fuel to his advantage when he is on the court to get his team out of a jam especially with his three pointer as he is shooting 42,9% from the parking lot.

Miles Schmidt-Scheuber interviewing ex Boston Celtic and current ratiopharm Ulm guard Chris Babb

The season of ratiopharm Ulm so far has been like a Cinderella story even if the club has belonged to the top 5 teams in the BBL for years, but the fewest people would have ever believed that they could flirt with an undefeated season except for maybe head coach Thorsten Leibenath and manager Thomas Stoll.

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Oscar Da Silva Ends Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners NBBL Top 4 Dream Propelling IBAM To 61-60 Win

A little more than a week ago German wonder boy Isaac Bonga saw the sides of two worlds once again as the sky is the limit for the 17 year special talent was able to broaden his horizons again something he has been able to experience time in and time out if it was playing in the basketball without boarders tournament in Lithuania or shooting the breeze with New York Knick Justin Holiday at the 2017 NBA allstar weekend in New Orleans. Bonga skipped off the sold out court in Ulm of 6,000 plus people having played the most BBL minutes this season with 26 contributing six points, four rebounds and three assists in a narrow 90-84 defeat to ratiopharm Ulm and 20 hours later, he was brought back down to reality that his basketball life isn´t only a bed of roses as he departed the floor in Munich a defeated young man as he had to accept the bitter 75-44 NBBL loss against the International basketball academy Munich with only 200 people in attendance and had ran around like a mad man leaving his heart on the floor having played 38 minutes filling up the stat sheet like a mini Lebron posting seven points, six rebounds, seven assists, four steals and one block. With his BBL season over, Bonga wanted to make his last season goal of reaching the NBBL top 4 in Frankfurt reality, but he as well as his teammates had to really show what they were made of, dig deep down within themselves and play with heart. Bonga wanted to avenge his unsatisfactory 3/18 shooting in Munich and at the same time force another do or die meeting with Munich and other German super talent Oscar Da Silva who dropped 59 points and 35 rebounds in the two game playoff series against Urspring and can continue to tell his friends that he will be attending Stanford next fall and play at the alma mater of ex Bamberg legend Casey Jacobsen. It was no secret that this special do or die game would bring out the best in Bonga and Da Silva as they combined for 40 points and 24 rebounds, but the International basketball academy Munich also known as IBAM came out on top escaping Frankfurt with a hard fought 61-60 victory. As the buzzer sounded, the few Munich fans that had made the trip jumped up in excitement as if lightening had struck them and star player and young phenom Oscar da Silva was calm, but one could see in his eyes that he was not only relieved, but also very proud for reaching the NBBL Top 4 tournament. “I am very happy about getting this win in Frankfurt. We never stopped fighting and played with high intensity. We came back through our good defense which helped us get transition baskets and that was key for the win”, stressed future Stanford Cardinal Oscar Da Silva. For Eintracht Frankfurt/Fraport Skyliners, it was a very successful season, but their goal of reaching the NBBL Final 4 in Frankfurt was not met and one could easily read the frustration of the players on their faces. Especially for team second top scorer Konstantin Schubert it was a disappointing way to end his NBBL career. “We knew that we could of won this game. Game one was depressing, but we had a different face today and defended very well against very good individual players. But when you only score 60 points, it will be difficult to win. We didn´t do much wrong on defense, but didn´t rebound well in the first half and when they couldn´t hit from outside, we were unable to stop their penetration”, stressed Fraport Skyliner Konstantin Schubert. “They switched to zone in the second half which gave us problems and took us out of rhythm”, added Fraport Skyliner Isaac Bonga.

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