Alba Berlin routs Bamberg 97-66 to reach BBL final against Bayern Munich

Decisive Game 5 in Berlin

Alba Berlin secured a place in the Basketball Bundesliga finals with a commanding 97-66 victory over Bamberg Baskets on Tuesday evening. The win, in front of a season-high sellout crowd of 8,861 at the Max-Schmeling-Halle, gave Alba a 3-2 series win in the best-of-five semi-final. The home team set the tone early, leading 22-17 after the first quarter before a devastating second period put the game out of reach.

A one-sided second quarter

The contest turned decisively in the second quarter. Alba outscored Bamberg 30-9 in the period, taking a 52-26 lead into halftime. Bamberg's offense stalled completely, managing only seven field goals from 25 attempts before the break. Head coach Anton Gavel was heard during a timeout criticising his team's transition defense, but the visitors found no answer to Berlin's intensity. The Wagner brothers, Moritz and Franz, watched from the stands as their former club overwhelmed the opposition.

Closing out the series

Bamberg showed more energy after the interval and briefly reduced the deficit, but Alba's lead had already ballooned to 70-41 by the end of the third quarter. A 12-0 run in the final period underlined Berlin's dominance. Michael Rataj led Alba's scoring with 16 points, while Ibi Watson matched that total for Bamberg. The victory was a sharp contrast to Alba's two heavy defeats in Bamberg that had allowed the visitors to level the series at 2-2.

A season goal achieved

Reaching the final was the team's primary objective for the campaign, a target that looked distant after a difficult start to the season. "That was our big goal," said captain Jonas Mattisseck after the game. Sporting director Ojeda acknowledged the challenge ahead, calling Bayern Munich the team with the best roster all season, deep and talented. He described reaching the final against them as a major achievement in itself.

That was our big goal.

Bamberg's strong season ends

Despite the heavy loss, Bamberg's season was widely praised. The team had finished 11th in the regular season before Anton Gavel's arrival in 2024, missing the playoffs entirely. Under Gavel, they mounted a strong campaign and pushed Alba to a fifth game. Around 700 travelling fans made the trip to Berlin, with long-time Bamberg patron Michael Stoschek covering travel costs for the supporters' group, who arrived in seven buses. The club was lauded for a "sensational season" and Gavel was described as the key to the turnaround.

Finals against Bayern Munich

The championship series against FC Bayern Munich begins on Friday in Munich at 20:30, with Game 2 following on Sunday at 15:30. Alba enter as clear underdogs against the defending champions, who swept both of their playoff series. Mattisseck said the team can now play freely and without pressure. "Now we will throw everything in and leave everything on the court," he said.

Now we will throw everything in and leave everything on the court.