ALBA Berlin Bounces back in German BBL

German Bundesliga BBL leaders ALBA Berlin bounced back from their first defeat of the season in the last round to crush Mitteldeutscher BC 82-56 in the nation’s capital. The club slipped to title rivals Brose Baskets Bamberg on December 26th, but this was a perfect response against an MBC team that had been in decent form this season.

The visitors started the campaign well and sit in mid-table, but ALBA caught them at the right time and defeat here extends their losing streak to six consecutive games. As for ALBA Berlin, they consolidated top spot and eased any concerns over a mid-season slump, the club now sitting on 14-1 in first place. The capital city team remains ahead of main title rivals Brose Baskets and Bayern Munich, both of whom won yesterday and hold 13-3 records.

ALBA Berlin vs. Mitteldeutscher BC, 82-56
ALBA Berlin was clearly out to prove a point after that first defeat of the season five days ago, and the home team started hot. Through the opening quarter ALBA dominated the hardwood and took a solid 23-14 lead into the intermission after 10 minutes. In the second stanza MBC struggled under the bucket, while Berlin dominated the defensive paint, allowing a 15-8 run that made it 38-22 through the long break. In the third act the visitors improved their scoring by piling 20 points onto the board, but ALBA kept pace and edged the frame with 21 points of their own (59-42 through thirty minutes). In the fourth quarter the hosts used their experience to shut the game down and cruise to an easy win… a perfect way to celebrate New Year’s Eve.