GER - Phantoms clinch last playoff spot despite loss
BRAUNSCHWEIG (Beko Basketball Bundesliga) - The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig clinched the last playoff berth despite losing to Deutsche Bank Skyliner 71-62 on the final day of the Beko BBL regular season. The Phantoms advance to the post-season after Artland Dragons - with whom they shared the same win-loss record - lost to Bremerhaven 82-80. That ...
BRAUNSCHWEIG (Beko Basketball Bundesliga) - The New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig clinched the last playoff berth despite losing to Deutsche Bank Skyliner 71-62 on the final day of the Beko BBL regular season.
The Phantoms advance to the post-season after Artland Dragons - with whom they shared the same win-loss record - lost to Bremerhaven 82-80. That result handed Brauschweig the final spot and a clash with top seeded side EWE Baskets Oldenburg on 8th May (14.40 CET).
In the other playoff match-ups, second place ALBA Berlin will take on the Deutsche Bank SKYLINERS, BC Göttingen square up to Eisbären Bremerhaven and Telekom Baskets Bonn face Brose Baskets.
Braunschweig head coach Sebastian Machowski was glad to lead his team to its first playoff appearance since 2002-2003.
"We would have liked to reach the playoffs under our own steam. Nevertheless we are satisfied being a part of the play-offs," he said.
The biggest game of the day saw Bonn need overtime to beat top-of-the-table side Oldenburg. Ronald Dupree had 25 points in the winning cause while Jasmin Perkovic had 21 points and 10 rebounds for the table-toppers.
At the bottom end of the table, the relegation battle came to a close during the week. Webmoebel Baskets - who already knew they would play in ProA next season - lost their final top flight game at home against Phoenix Hagen, 85-78 and GIANTS Düsseldorf lost a nail biter to Göttingen 72-71 and will also make the drop.
Göttingen then won the EuroChallenege on Sunday by beating Russian side Krasyne Krylia 83-75.
Elsewhere, Trier may have lost to Bamberg 69-53, but there was something to celebrate for one of their players as Christopher Copeland finished the season as the league's top scorer with an average of 16.9 per contest.
Bremerhaven power forward Jeff Gibbs was the top rebounder with an average of 9.3 boards and his team-mate Louis Campbell led all players in assists with 6.0. He finished the season on a high, recording the first triple-double (12 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists) in the Beko BBL in his team's win over Artland.
Playoffs
Quarter-finals: (1) EWE Baskets vs (8) New Yorker Phantoms Braunschweig; (2) Alba Berlin v (7) Deutsche Bank SKYLINERS; (3) BG Göttingen vs (6) Eisbären Bremerhaven; (4) Telekom Baskets Bonn vs (5) Brose Basket.
FIBA