German Cup Final Four: Bayern will face ALBA in the semis / News - Basketnews.com

Bayern will meet ALBA in the German Cup Final Four semifinal, as Oldenburg already submitted a bid to host the event.

Credit: imago images/Matthias Koch-Scanpix Credit imago images/Matthias Koch-Scanpix

The tension in the German Cup (BBL-Pokal) four quarterfinals was only noticeable in one of the four games, namely in Oldenburg's narrow victory over Heidelberg (85-83). However, it does not diminish the anticipation for the Final Four, which will be played in mid-February.

Isaiah Whitehead

Team:MHP Riesen LudwigsburgPosition:PG, SGAge:27Height:193 cmWeight:95 kgBirth place:Brooklyn, United States of AmericaProfileNewsStatistics

Both EuroLeague clubs, FC Bayern Munich and ALBA Berlin had to deal with supposedly easy opponents.

While the Bavarians played against Medi Bayreuth, which was in poor form, ALBA had to deal with Gottingen. A strong quarter was enough for the Bavarians to pull off an 80-63 victory, while ALBA won 99-71.

It was a similar story for Ludwigsburg, who have been tremendously strong overall in recent weeks, winning eight of their last 10 games in national competitions.

Against last year's German Cup finalists, Crailsheim Merlins, Ludwigsburg performed ruthlessly and with much energy. Ludwigsburg, under a new coach Josh King, came out strongly after halftime, as Crailsheim scored just eight points in the 3rd quarter.

In the end, a convincing 95-69 victory was on the scoreboard, with guard Isaiah Whitehead scoring 18 points.

Unlike in the other three quarterfinals, Oldenburg struggled with Heidelberg for a long time due to a very weak start. After halftime, Pedro Calles' team erased a 13-point deficit but fought back again with a strong performance from Dewayne Russell (28 points).

It went back and forth in the last quarter, and German forward Alen Pjanic sealed the narrow 85:83 victory with some solid defensive actions.

Where and when will the Final Four take place?

The two semifinal matches will take place on Saturday, February 18. Here are the two fixtures:

Bayern Munich vs. ALBA Berlin EWE Baskets Oldenburg vs. MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg

Which of the four teams will host the final four is still unclear as of today, but the league has already announced that the final round will not be held on neutral ground.

However, it is certain that ALBA will not host the final. On the one hand, the two potential arenas for the Berliners, the Mercedes-Benz Arena, and the Max-Schmeling Arena, are already fully booked that weekend. Also, the German capital was already the host of the Cup finals last season.

Credit Imago Images – Scanpix

According to BasketNews information, either Ludwigsburg or Oldenburg will host the Cup. The latter has already officially announced on Monday about submitting a bid.

"We want to bring the Final Four to Oldenburg," said managing partner Hermann Schuller. "With an attractive supporting program and our enthusiasm for basketball, we want to carry away the fans and sponsors."

The winner of EuroLeague duel meets a dangerous underdog

The semifinal between Bayern and ALBA probably looks like an early final. Nevertheless, it would be disrespectful to claim that the Cup winner will automatically emerge from this match.

Especially when you consider how dangerous both Oldenburg and Ludwigsburg can become. Ludwigsburg has often proven that they can be a serious stumbling block in a tournament with a knockout format.

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