Bamberg downs Darussafaka to reach Top 16

Brose Baskets Bamberg became the third team to make it to the Top 16 from Group D by downing Darussafaka Dogus Istanbul 54-65 on the road on Friday. Bamberg improved to 5-2 after getting its fourth consecutive win and mathematically made it to the next round. Darussafaka dropped to 3-4, ranks fourth in Group D and still holds a two-win gap over fifth-place Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv. Daniel Theis led the winners with 13 points. Bradley Wanamaker added 11 while Nicolo Melli grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds for Bamberg. Jamon Gordon led Darussafaka with 13 points. Marcus Slaughter added 12 while Milko Bjelica had 10 for the hosts, who bounced back from a slow start to tie the game, 17-17 after 10 minutes. Melli shined in the second quarter, allowing Bamberg to get a 29-32 lead. Bamberg improved its defense after the break, as Wanamaker allowed the guests to get a double-digit margin, 39-50, after 30 minutes. Gordon brought Darussafaka within 51-57 but Theis took over in crunch time to make sure that Bamberg got the win it needed to reach the Top 16.

First quarter: Brose starts strong, Darussafaka recovers

Melli found Elias Harris for a reverse layup that got Bamberg going before an off-balance basket by Darius Miller gave the guests a 0-4 lead. Harris capped a 0-6 opening run with a jumper before Semih Erden split free throws for Darussafaka's first point. Nikos Zisis hit both of his foul shots for Brose, but then Slaughter scored around the basket and Milko Bjelica hit a three-pointer by that kept Darussafaka within 6-8. Zisis scored in penetration and a layup by Leon Radosevic boosted the guests' lead to 6-12. Slaughter ignited the crowd with a dunk and soon added a put-back basket to keep the hosts as close as 10-12. And even though Radosevic swished a mid-range jumper and Patrick Heckmann added a free throw for Brose, Bjelica singlehandedly brought Darussafaka even closer, 14-15. Darussafaka's defense stopped allowing easy shots, but Heckmann finished a three-chance Bamberg offense with a tip-in before free throws by Slaughter tied it 17-17 after 10 minutes.

Second quarter: Melli puts Bamberg ahead

Ender Arslan hit a technical free throw early in the second quarter for Darussafaka's first - and in the end, only - lead of the egame, because soon Bamberg brought more intensity to both ends of the court. Wanamaker¡s layup and an alleyoop dunk by Theis gave the guests a 17-20 margin. Reggie Redding hit a mid-range jumper for Darussafaka that Melli bettered with a bomb from downtown. Jamon Gordon took over with a driving layup which a red hot Melli matched with a tip-in for a 22-26 Bamberg lead. A mid-range jumper by Wanamaker made Darussafaka coach Oktay Mahmuti call timeout at 22-28. Scottie Wilbekin made free throws for the hosts, but another three-pointer by Melli kept Brose ahead 24-30. Harris and Gordon exchanged free throws and a tip-in by Furkan Aldemir gave Darussafaka hope as Arslan split foul shots to fix the halftime score at 29-32.

Third quarter: Bamberg extends its margin

Radosevic shined with a driving layup immediately after the break, as Darussafaka went scoreless for more than 2 minutes. Gordon stepped up with a five-meter jumper but Heckmann did better with a bomb from downtown, good for a 31-37 Bamberg lead. Wilbekin sank a stop-and-pop jumper that Harris matched with a reverse layup. Gordon kept pacing Darussafaka with free throws and Slaughter provided a highlight with an alley-oop dunk which kept the hosts as close as 37-40. Heckmann shined with a three-point play and Slaughter dunked again, as the game turned into a physical battle. Both teams struggled to score until Theis stepped up with a put-back layup, good for a 39-45 Bamberg edge. Wanamaker fired in a wide-open three-pointer that forced Darussafaka to stop the game at 39-48. Theis finished a good team play with a layup and Redding made free throws to keep the hosts within 41-50 after 30 minutes.

Fourth quarter: Bamberg is in the Top 16!

Theis scored around the basket early in the fourth quarter, as Bamberg kept dominating the game with outstanding defense. A long rebound allowed Wanamaker to score at the other end, forcing Darussafaka to call timeout at 41-54. The hosts could not find the way to the basket for more than 3 minutes until Aldemir made a three-point play. Gordon soon added a bomb from downtown to being Darussafaka within 47-54. Theis stepped up with a big bomb himself, which Manu Markoishvili answered with a put-back basket, his first points. Free throws by Gordon got the hosts closer, 51-57, with over 3 minutes left. Janis Strelnieks, who had been scoreless until then, buried a critical three-pointer which Theis followed with a three-point play to seal the outcome, 51-63. Darussafaka kept trying but Bamberg had already cruised to a well-deserved, historical road win.