In a thrilling Friday evening game, Würzburg Baskets narrowly beat Hamburg Towers. Both teams remained on an equal footing throughout the entire game, but Würzburg managed to win with a strong team performance.
In a hard-fought game on Friday evening, Würzburg Baskets narrowly beat Hamburg Towers. Both teams were on an equal footing from the outset, and so it was a close game in which neither team was able to pull ahead significantly. After a balanced first half, Würzburg went in at half-time with a narrow 47:44 lead. Hamburg kept in the game well, in particular thanks to Brae Ivey, who notched up a total of 21 points and also shone in the first half with his playmaking and important buckets. For their part, the Baskets benefited from their deep rotation, as several players took responsibility.
BBL: Klassen and Jackson lead Würzburg
Würzburg was able to maintain its narrow lead for a long time in the second half, but without pulling away decisively. Center Owen Klassen, in particular, gave Hamburg’s defense a hard time with his 19 points (9/12 FG) and 13 rebounds, scoring an impressive double-double. He was supported by top German league scorer Jhivvan Jackson, who also played a key role with 18 points. Würzburg was able to carve out a larger lead briefly in the third period when Nelson Phillips drained an important three to make it 64:55, but Hamburg did not give up.
The Towers fought their way back at the start of the final period, but Würzburg kept its nerve in the final phase and did not let the lead slip out of its hands despite the close game. In addition to Klassen and Jackson, four other Würzburg players scored in double digits, underlining the team’s all-round performance. Hamburg’s Jordan Barnett put in a convincing performance with 17 points and five rebounds, but in the end it was not enough to seriously threaten the Baskets again. Würzburg produced a stable performance in crunch time to capture a narrow but deserved victory.
Next game preview
Würzburg Baskets will next play in the Basketball Champions League on Wednesday, October 23, when they face Nanterre 92 on the road (tip-off: 8:00 p.m.). In the easyCredit German Basketball League, they face a difficult task when they travel to Bayern Munich on Sunday, October 27 (tip-off: 4:30 p.m.).
Hamburg Towers travel to Venice on Tuesday, October 22, where they will face Reyer Venezia in the EuroCup at 8:00 p.m. local time. Hamburg’s next game in the BBL is on Sunday, October 26, at 8:00 p.m. local time, when they host the MBC.
