The next touchstone for the Hamburg Towers is Oldenburg ›HL-SPORTS

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Hamburg – After eight successes in a row, the Hamburg Towers will receive the EWE Baskets Oldenburg on Wednesday (8.30 p.m.). Magenta Sport will broadcast the game against fourth place in the table live from 8.15 p.m.

There may be opponents with whom the Hamburg Towers associate significantly more positive memories than with the EWE Baskets Oldenburg. This is less due to the eternal record, which is still clearly with the Lower Saxony after only two clashes, but more to the few seconds that decided victory and defeat in the first leg. Despite the unfortunate end, the Towers do not want to put the experiences from the first season duel in the ‘negative experience’ category. “We were ahead until 5.3 seconds before the end and then got the game winner from Hornsby. Maybe we could have been a little better defensively. Nonetheless, we actually played a good game, ”recalls Justus Hollatz.

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With the exception of the first few minutes of the game, in which the Oldenburg team placed ten attempts to throw in a row in the basket, neither team was able to clear more than five points in the further course of the game. Pedro Calles’ team has been warned about the second leg. “We’re meeting a very talented offensive team. Even if we would do almost everything right on the defensive, they still have the ability and quality to score, ”said the Spaniard. “As in the last few games, the goal has to be to come out with a lot of energy. We know what we’re capable of defensively, “says young star Justus Hollatz confidently before the second leg and adds:” Regardless of the outcome of the first leg, we want to win. “

With almost 95 points scored per game, the EWE Baskets are by far the most successful offensive of the BBL. The Lower Saxony have already scored more than 100 points nine times – three hundred have scored during the last four victories. “You have too many options, so there is no one defensive solution. You can score in the post, from a distance, from pick & roll and from blocks off the ball, ”says the Hamburg head coach, referring to the offensive variability. The role of top scorer is shared by Keith Hornsby (15.7 pp), responsible for the game-winning Buzzerbeater in February, and BBL legend Rickey Paulding (15.5 pp).

As a reaction to the injury-related loss of Nathan Boothe, the Oldenburg team presented Tomiaslav Gabric, a last-minute entry, which, with 20 points at its premiere, fitted seamlessly into its new team. “He fits in very well, but that has not changed the Oldenburg game,” said Pedro Calles’ impression after the Croatian national player’s first two games. Since the new addition “has no major influence on the direction of the Oldenburg”, it is, according to Calles, the most important thing to “slow down their pace and prevent the flow of the game”. Above all, the scope of the creative forces Phil Pressey (4.1 ApS), Braydon Hobbs (3.9 ApS) and Rasid Mahalbasic (3.8 ApS) must be limited.

Another challenge awaits Justus Hollatz, especially in the duel with the two Oldenburg guards. “Games against strong teams help me a lot for my development,” said the young star, who scored at least eight points in the last three games and was on the field for more than 25 minutes. “I can still make mistakes, I make mistakes, I’m grateful for that and that’s why I’m looking forward to every further game,” said the 19-year-old who is playing his second BBL season.

According to his coach Pedro Calles, the starting point for Hollatz’s increasing performance curve is “greater consistency in training work”. In addition, the Hamburg head coach is pleased that his protégé has recently shown himself to be much more aggressive on the field. “He trusts more and more in his abilities. His confidence is developing in the right direction, so he has more influence on the game, ”said Pedro Calles. For the Spanish trainer, learning is a give and take. “I also learn from my players every day. As a team, we have learned how to finish games successfully, ”said Calles, who sums up:“ Overall, we’re playing better than at the beginning of the season. ”

A quick chat before the game:

Pedro Calles: “We’re meeting a very talented offensive team. Even if we did just about everything right on the defensive, they still have the ability and quality to score points. You have too many options, so there is no single defensive solution. You can score in the post, from a distance, from pick & roll and from blocks away from the ball. So it’s going to be very difficult. The most important thing will be to slow down your pace and stop the flow of your game. Tomislav Gabric has played the last two games. As a new addition, however, he has no great influence on the direction of the Oldenburg team. It fits in very well, but that hasn’t changed the Oldenburg game. The fact that Justus got Konstanz into his training work was, in my opinion, his first important development step this year. Over the first three months he was not always able to train fully with us. That has subsided in the last month. He’s been more aggressive on the field recently. He trusts more and more in his abilities. His self-confidence is developing in the right direction, so he has more influence on the game. “

Justus Hollatz: “We were ahead until 5.3 seconds before the end and then we got the game winner from Hornsby. Maybe we could have been a little better defensively. Nonetheless, we actually played a good game. But regardless of the outcome of the first leg, we want to win. As in the last few games, the goal has to be to come out with a lot of energy. We know what we’re capable of defensively. We want to stick to our plan. With our energy and our struggle, we have a good chance. Games against strong teams help me a lot in my development. The level was a little higher. I can still make mistakes, I make mistakes, I’m grateful for that and that’s why I’m looking forward to every further game. “(PM Towers)

To the photo:

Justus Hollatz: A very special memory of Oldenburg (Photo: Lobeca / Roberto Seidel)