Niners Chemnitz fight for ascent: Now it counts in Heidelberg!

Niners Chemnitz fight for ascent: Now it counts in Heidelberg!

Chemnitz, Deutschland - In an exciting opening game of the BBL playoffs, the Niners Chemnitz delivered a gripping competition against the MLP Academics Heidelberg on May 17, 2025, but lost with 90:93. Before 4,496 enthusiastic spectators in Chemnitz, the Niners started weakly and were back with 12 points. But the team fought back, equalized shortly before half -time and was even able to take the lead to 58:57 in the third quarter.

Victor Bailey Jr. was the outstanding player of the Niners with 27 points, while the MLP Academics was supported by Ryan Mikesell, who also scored 27 points. Michael Weathers contributed 21 points and 6 assists, and Bakary Dibba showed an impressive performance with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

The exciting game in detail

The competition was characterized by changing tours. In the 26th minute, Chemnitz was in the lead for the first time and was able to play out a 5-point leadership (64:59) in the meantime. But Heidelberg could not shake off and stayed in the game. In the 35th minute, the Niners even led 83:78 after a 11-0 run. A Gilyard three -point throw at a stand of 87:87 shortly before the end of the game could have influenced the outcome. In the final phase, a controversial whistle against Deandre Lansdowne caused additional tension. Heidelberg took this opportunity to secure the victory through free throws.

With this narrow defeat, the Niners will have to build on the performance on Tuesday, May 20, at 8 p.m. in Heidelberg and be sure to protect the chances of achieving the semi -final. The playoffs are held in the best-of-five mode, which means that the team moves into the semi-finals with three victories.

Outlook for the upcoming games

To get forward, the team of coach Rodrigo Pastore will still have a lot of work ahead of them. The heart of the upcoming games are:

The Niners Chemnitz fought with a season record of 18 wins and 14 defeats in the top 4 of the Basketball Bundesliga. The next game is crucial for the team to keep the dream of the semi -finals alive. [Blick] reports that the expectations in the team are high and the pressure to win the first game against Heidelberg is noticeable. It remains exciting for the Chemnitz fans!

For more information about this playoff thriller and the upcoming games, also visit the article from [Sportschau].