Telekom Baskets Bonn before Würzburg duel: This is the team's standing in the BBL

Bonn goes into the next playoff game against Würzburg with momentum – but also with the experience of how quickly this series can turn. After the 88:81 on May 18, the quarterfinals of the easyCredit BBL are tied (1:1). Game 3 will take place on Friday, May 22, in Würzburg and will be broadcast on Dyn.

The starting position: Bonn comes into this match as the fourth-placed team from the main round. In 34 season games, the team collected 42 points and recorded 21 wins with 13 losses – a record that has shown stability over months, but must be confirmed again in a short playoff series.

Bonn brings the main round record – and must translate it away

The Telekom Baskets finished the regular season with a win rate of 61.8 percent. In the last ten games, they achieved six wins, which keeps the form curve positive overall – even if not everything went smoothly recently.

One detail becomes especially important before Game 3: the away performance. Bonn won 12 out of 17 home games in the main round, but also achieved a strong record in foreign arenas with nine wins and eight losses. In Würzburg, that's exactly what counts now: sticking to their own principles under pressure, in a loud arena, and without the usual home advantage.

The bigger context: Bonn has played continuously in the BBL since 1996 and celebrated the club's greatest international success so far by winning the Basketball Champions League in 2023. This experience does not change the playoff mechanisms – but it explains why the team aims to translate a solid main round into a resilient series.

Two games, two extremes: Why this series remains open

The first two duels against Fitness First Würzburg Baskets have already shown the range of the series. On May 16, Bonn lost at home 54:69 – a game that Würzburg controlled and in which Davion Mintz was the most prominent scorer for the guests. Only two days later, at the same venue, came Bonn's response: 88:81 on May 18, tying the series. In this game, Würzburg had Marcus Carr as the top scorer, but Bonn had the more stable overall performance over 40 minutes.

In between was also the 83:102 defeat in Bamberg on May 10, in which Jalen Finch was Bonn's best scorer. This also underlines: Bonn can achieve high offensive numbers – but must consistently call up its overall package of intensity, rebounding, and structure.

After Game 3, the series continues in quick succession: Game 4 is scheduled for Sunday, May 24, again in Würzburg; a possible Game 5 would be on Wednesday, May 27, in Bonn.

Team stats as an indicator – not a guarantee

Over the entire season, Bonn has advantages over the opponent profile in several areas: 83.2 points per game while allowing 80 points, plus 39.8 rebounds and 17.4 assists on average (opponent: 36.1 rebounds and 16.8 assists). This fits a team that creates chances through ball movement and work on the boards.

At the same time, one number shows why playoffs are often decided by details: The field goal percentage is 44.2 percent, slightly below the opponent's 44.6 percent. Bonn compensates for this with volume, rebounding, and passing – but as soon as Würzburg controls the pace and makes shots more difficult, this buffer shrinks. The series is therefore less a statistics comparison than a question of who can assert their strengths more often in the decisive sequences.

The squad includes 24 players this season, with an average age of 25.5 years. The distribution (10 guards, 10 forwards, 4 centers) provides flexibility for matchups and lineup-specific adjustments. Head coach is Marko Stankovic, supported by Lionel Bosco, Eduardo Fernández-Galarreta, and Thomas Pennellier. Jalen Finch is highlighted as the team's top scorer in the Bonn context – important, but not the only topic in this series: Especially away, it will be crucial that Bonn remains consistent not only with individual scoring power but also with defense and second chances.

Bonn travels to Würzburg with a strong main round record and the 1:1 in the series. Game 3 will be a test of whether the statistical and structural advantages from the season can also carry over into another close playoff evening in a foreign arena.