GER – Oldenburg, Berlin sent packing from German play-offs

FRANKFURT (Beko Basketball Bundesliga) - Alba Berlin and EWE Baskets Oldenburg made quick exits from the German play-offs on Wednesday night when they suffered Game 4 defeats in their respective quarter-finals.
 
Alba lost at Deutsche Bank Skyliners while Oldenburg, the defending champions, crashed out of the post-season after falling to New Yorker Phantoms.
 
Eisbaren Bremerhaven defeated Gottingen to leave that series knotted at 2-2.
 
Oldenburg finished first in the regular season but surprises can always happen in the play-offs and that’s what happened in their tie with the Phantoms, who won 78-76 on Wednesday.
 
Ricky Paulding, who had a game-high 19 points, had a chance to put visitors Oldenburg in front in the waning seconds but missed a shot from behind the arc.
 
A Kevin Hamilton basket then took the Phantoms' advantage to 78-74 before Marko Scekic scored the last two points of the contest for Oldenburg.
 
Brandon Thomas had 15 points for the winners.
 
Oldenburg guard Daniel Hain said: “The Phantoms played a great series and deservedly prevailed.
 
“We didn’t lose the series today, but back at home on Sunday.”
 
Phantoms had won that contest, 70-66.
 
The mood is upbeat in Frankfurt, where Deutsche Bank won 69-58 over Alba on Wednesday to progress.
 
"Before this series, no one believed that we could beat Berlin," said Gordon Herbert, the man who led Skyliners to the German title in 2004 and was recently appointed coach again.
 
"But we believed. I am proud of my players."
 
Derrick Allen scored 26 points for Skyliners.
 
Gottingen, meanwhile, lost 90-83 in Game 4 at Eisbaren Bremerhaven.
 
Andrew Drevo had 17 points and blocked three shots for the Polar Bears.
 
Jeff Gibbs also scored 16 points, including an eight of 10 effort at the charity stripe, and Louis Campbell finished with 15 points, seven assists and six rebounds.
 
Christopher McNaughton, Gottingen's best player in their EuroChallenge Final triumph over Krasnye Krylia on May 2, had a game-high 27 points in defeat.
 
The Game 5 decider will be played on Friday at Lokhalle.
 
Brose Baskets Bamberg had already earned a trip to the semi-finals with a 3-0 sweep of Telekom Baskets Bonn.
 
FIBA