While BallinEurope continues slacking after the squall of 17 games in four days that was the 2012 Euroleague Final Four and Nike International Junior Tournament – Istanbul is awesome, by the way – Germany-based David Hein jumped right back into the grind as domestic leagues throughout Europe march on into their own championship tournaments. Below runs a brief look at what’s happening the Österreich Bundesliga; BiE’ll get back to proper basketball business soon. Okay, in a couple of days…
Damir Zeleznik nailed a three-pointer with 27 seconds left as Xion Dukes Klosterneuburg completed a miracle comeback for the 78-77 victory over Allianz Swans Gmunden to steal Game One on the road of the Austrian Admiral Basketball Bundesliga championship series.
The top-seeded Swans led by 21 points in the second quarter and by 17 points with less than seven minutes remaining. But Dukes – back in the Austrian finals for the first time in 22 years – would not give up, going on a 15-1 run to pull within three and then getting Zeleznik’s winner, his only basket of the game.
Dan Oppland, who had a monster game of 22 points, 20 rebounds, three assists and three steals for Gmunden, missed a lefty hook with three seconds left.
The Swans, who host Game Two on Wednesday, led 71-54 with less than seven minutes to play but could not hold on for the win.
“An unbelievable comeback was finished with a three-pointer. It’s an unbelievable performance, but it’s only a 1-0 lead, nothing more,” said Dukes assistant coach Armin Göttlicher.
“We only have ourselves to blame,” said Swans GM Harald Stelzer.
Christoph Nagler had 22 points while Ramiz Suljanovic added 18 points for Klostneuburg.
Germany-based David Hein is often (justifiably, we think) dubbed by BiE as “the hardest-working man in European sportswriting.” Aside from contributing to BallinEurope, FIBA’s official website and the Bundesliga Basketball League official website, he also writes for numerous German- and English-language outlets on sports from soccer and basketball on down. Check out far-ranging samples of his work at heinnews.com.
