2019-20Regular SeasonRound 16
ALBA Berlin 81
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz 57
December 26, 2019 CET: 20:00
Local time: 20:00 MERCEDES-BENZ ARENA

ALBA blasts Baskonia in Berlin

ALBA Berlin put an end to a four-game losing streak with an 81-57 victory over KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz on Thursday night. The visitors were hoping their new coach could bring them better performance, but it wasn’t to be as the home side suffocated Baskonia in transition and put on an excellent defensive performance. Baskonia scored just 26 points in the opening half as ALBA built a healthy lead going into the third. ALBA improved to 5-11 with the victory. Martin Hernannsson led the ALBA attack with 18 points, while Rokas Giedraitis scored 17, Landry Nnoko and Marcus Eriksson had 11 each and Luke Sikma scored 10. Baskonia is 1-7 in its last eight road games and has lost five of its last six overall to fall to 6-10. Shavon Shields scored 11 and Michael Eric had 10 in defeat.

Baskonia had the better start and led 1-4, but Sikma hit a three to level matters at 4-4. It remained close through the first quarter before ALBA took a 15-8 lead thanks to a Giedratis three and a pair of Nnoko scores. A Nnoko slam made it 21-12 as ALBA continued its good form. Baskonia made a late surge, but it was ALBA's quarter and it ended 23-15. Baskonia continued the comeback and made it 23-18 early in the second. Giedraitis hit another three to extend ALBA's lead to 10 and it continued to swell. ALBA exerted its dominance and Sikma hit another three to make it 37-20. Baskonia made another late comeback at the end of the second with Youssoupha Fall on target, but Hermannsson scored a late, long two to make it 41-26 at the half.

It was a positive start to the third for Baskonia as Fall scored to make it 41-28. However, points were few and ALBA hit another three to soar to 49-32. Shields responded with his a triple as Baskonia eyed a comeback. Giedraitis hit another one from deep and made it 55-37 as Baskonia’s hopes started to fade. The hosts extended that to 57-37 by the end of the third. Nik Stauskas hit a three along with Luca Vildoza and Matt Janning for Baskonia, but another Hermannsson triple made it 62-44. The home side refused to let the visitors get any closer and would not entertain the thoughts of a comeback. Hermannsson landed another crafty layup to make it 68-46. There was no stopping him as he landed another three to make it 73-48. It was little more than a formality at that stage as ALBA raced home with the win.

Pivotal Player

Rokas Giedraitis was unstoppable early as ALBA built the lead that would carry it through the third and fourth quarters. He scored 17, had 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Giedraitis showed off an outstanding work ethic in what is becoming an increasingly common performance by the Lithuanian.



Doing it all

Landry Nnoko notched a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds as the home side leaned heavily on him early. He was particularly impressed with his side's defense. "I’m just very happy with the way we defended," he said after the game.

Next game

Baskonia welcomes FC Barcelona to start the new year on Thursday, January 2. ALBA Berlin will head to Spain to take on Valencia Basket the following evening.

Martin Hermannsson - ALBA Berlin - EB19
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Euroleague.net
Referees: MOGULKOC, EMIN; ZAMOJSKI, JAKUB; PEERANDI, RAIN
Attendance: 8818
By Quarter1234
ALBA Berlin23181624
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz15111120
End of Quarter1234
ALBA Berlin23415781
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz15263757
ALBA Berlin
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
1 MASON, MAKAI 15:07 5 0/2 0/1 5/6   2 2 2 4 3     1 3 8
2 RADOSAVLJEVIC, BOGDAN 0:04                              
5 GIFFEY, NIELS 15:26 9 3/6 0/1 3/3 2 1 3           2 3 9
8 ERIKSSON, MARCUS 21:25 11 2/2 2/4 1/1 1   1 2   1       2 13
9 MATTISSECK, JONAS 22:36   0/1                     2 2 -1
10 SCHNEIDER, TIM 8:24     0/1         1   1 1   4   -4
15 HERMANNSSON, MARTIN 26:11 18 6/10 2/4     1 1 3   4   1 2 1 10
16 NIKIC, KRESIMIR 8:58   0/1     1 1 2     3     4   -6
25 OGBE, KENNETH 0:12                              
31 GIEDRAITIS, ROKAS 30:46 17 2/3 3/6 4/6 3 2 5 3 2 1 1   1 3 23
35 NNOKO, LANDRY 25:52 11 3/5   5/6 3 8 11 1 2 2     2 5 23
43 SIKMA, LUKE 24:59 10 1/4 2/4 2/2   4 4 5 1   1     4 20
Team           2 4 6               6
Totals 200:00 81 17/34 9/21 20/24 12 23 35 17 9 15 3 1 18 23 101
        50% 42.9% 83.3%
Head coach: GARCIA RENESES, AITO
Min: Minutes played; Pts: Points; 2FG M-A: 2-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); 3FG M-A: 3-point Field Goals (Made-Attempted); FT M-A: Free Throws (Made-Attempted); Rebounds: O (Offensive), D (Defensive), T (Total); As: Assists; St: Steals; To: Turnovers; Bl: Blocks (Fv: In Favor / Ag: Against); Fouls: Cm (Commited), Rv (Received); PIR: Performance Index Rating
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
  Rebounds Blocks Fouls
# Player Min Pts 2FG 3FG FT O D T As St To Fv Ag Cm Rv PIR
3 VILDOZA, LUCA 18:28 6 3/3 0/2         1 2 4   1 3 3 2
5 GONZALEZ, MIGUEL DNP - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
7 HENRY, PIERRIA 12:51 2 1/2               2     1   -2
11 JANNING, MATT 24:19 5 1/3 1/6     2 2   1 1   1 2 2 -1
12 DIOP, ILIMANE 17:44 3 1/1   1/2 2 2 4 1 1 3     5 2 2
17 GARCIA, SERGI 8:45     0/2         1 1         2 2
19 FALL, YOUSSOUPHA 10:04 8 4/7     4 2 6   1 1     3   8
22 STAUSKAS, NIK 29:45 9 1/6 1/3 4/4 2 4 6 4   3   1 3 5 10
23 SHENGELIA, TORNIKE 24:14 1 0/6   1/2   3 3 1   2 1   1 2 -2
31 SHIELDS, SHAVON 31:24 11 4/6 1/3   1 1 2 2 2 2     4   7
33 POLONARA, ACHILLE 9:08 2 1/2 0/3   2   2   1       1    
50 ERIC, MICHAEL 13:18 10 4/7   2/2 2 1 3   1 1     1 2 11
Team           2 3 5               5
Totals 200:00 57 20/43 3/19 8/10 15 18 33 10 10 19 1 3 24 18 42
        46.5% 15.8% 80%
Head coach: IVANOVIC, DUSKO

Head Coaches

GARCIA RENESES, AITO
ALBA Berlin
"It was a great victory. I am very happy, especially with the first half. We played very good defense and I am proud of it. After that, it was not very difficult because they didn’t react. Like all the players, Eriksson is trying to improve in his quickness. He is doing a great job. I think we must be happy with our players because all of them are trying to improve in a lot of things, and are working well. Sometimes only in the game because we are playing almost every day or traveling. I am very happy with the attitude of Marcus and everybody. It is good to realize that we have a lot of problems with injured players and we are solving it as best we can. We had a problem with the beginning of the season and after you lose the equilibrium. It’s not very easy, this is good because they are trying a lot and sometimes when you are used to winning all the time, or a lot, and when you start to lose, you lose the confidence, but probably they will recover."
IVANOVIC, DUSKO
KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
"Congratulation to ALBA tonight. I saw my team without energy, which is a big problem. We started the game and finished the game and this is the most important point. After we will start talking about ideas on offense, easy offensive rebounds. But I think this energy is a big problem for us at this moment."

Players

GIEDRAITIS, ROKAS
ALBA Berlin
"After two quarters, we were excellent on two-point defense I think. We let them score 26 points on two quarters. They finished with 50 something. I think we just need to work, keep improving what we are doing and that’s it."
NNOKO, LANDRY
ALBA Berlin
"I’m probably going to know more tomorrow [about his leg injury] but right now the adrenaline is going and I think it’s just sore and I’m going to be fine. I’m just very happy with the way we defended. I think our pressure dictated the game a lot. If we keep that up, we’ll be just fine, but we have to make sure to play with the same energy as we did tonight."