Basketball scandal

Holes and false baskets, but a real “final”

Michael Weathers forced a fourth game in Klosterneuburg despite adverse conditions

(Bild: GEPA pictures/ Mario Buehner-Weinrauch)

Holes in the floor, adhesive tape as lines, incorrectly hanging baskets in the replacement hall in Eggenberg - unworthy of a Superliga semi-final! And yet Klosterneuburg's basketball players forced a real "final" with their 91:80 away win against Graz: Wednesday's home game must decide the best-of-five series!

The fourth semi-final kicked off a quarter of an hour late. This was because the replacement hall in Eggenberg - the Graz basketball team had had to make way for the women's European Handball Cup - first had to be brought up to scratch. The guests from Klosterneuburg could not believe their eyes when they arrived: "Some of the baskets were hanging five centimetres too low, there were holes in the floor and tape had to be used as lines," said manager Matthias Hager, shaking his head.

At first, it seemed as if his "Dukes" could have done with a lower basket. After all, the rebounding was dramatically lacking: The score was 15:22 at the break with "air sovereignty" in the zone. As in the previous games, Graz had more to say there and led by up to nine points.

However, Klosterneuburg's Damir Zeleznik - who was named Austria's Super League Coach of the Year - was heard at the break: After the break, his players took command under the basket. Will Carius even stuck his head out to do so and was unsportingly fouled by Smith.

Mike Weathers took control of the shots and led Klosterneuburg to victory with 33 points. "Despite the most adverse conditions, we showed morale," praised Hager, "Hats off to our team!" The final will be decided on Wednesday in the "Finale daham".

Close, but still

Despite Aleksej Kostic's early ankle injury, Traiskirchen cut the lead to as many as 15 points (57:58) before Tutu missed the chance to give Oberwart the lead with two free throws. Instead, Davon Clare and Demarcus Demonia turned on the heat to give Traiskirchen its first win of the season against the Gunners - 76:70! The home game on Wednesday will also have to decide the outcome here.