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Obradović: We defeated ourselves

Ulm reduced the deficit in the series to 1-2. Alba had a poor shooting day on Thursday. Their had a 4/22 efficiency for three points and they missed many open shots and lay-ups

Ulm are back in the game when they were least expected. They managed to beat Alba on Thursday. This ended several runs - the run of 14 wins altogether and 21 home wins for the home team. This was also Ulm's first win after 6 games and they won this one primarily through defense. For the first time this season, they limited the Berlin team to under 86 points. 

The controlled the game from the beginning to the end. They were up by +6 at half time only for Ulm to take the lead by +15 at the end of the third period. Alba didn't give up, they were down by -9 at the start of the last period and then they got a 11-3 run that put them at 59-60. Then came Edgar Sosa's time to shite as he scored two three-pointers for Ulm in the crucial period and his team got a 11-5 run that definitely won the game for them.

- I am incredibly proud as we have shown character and we beat the strong Berlin team in their arena. Many have written us off but we went into the game brimming with confidence. We controlled the last two games for some time but it was only on Thursday that we played a really good end game. We didn't get any unnecessary turnovers. In terms if tactics and fighting spirit, it was a great display from my team - said coach  Thorsten Leibenath.

The best player for Ulm was Daniel Theis who scored 20 points and added 12 rebounds. Sosa got 19 points and their main PG Per Günther  had 15 points and 6 assists. They didn't lose heart when their power forward Matt Howard went out early due to personal fouls. Their center Trent Plaisted got only 14 minutes and Adam Hess got only 5 and it's probably because he cannot maintain the necessary defensive level. One of the players that more will be required from is definitely Phillipp Schwethelm (0 pts), who has shown absolutely nothing in offense in the first three games but is normally Ulm's top three-point man. It's important to note that Ulm were better in rebounds, and they are among the top teams in the league in this domain, but they still had some problems with rebounds against Alba.

- Our arena has to tremble today. Our fans have to create the atmosphere like against Bayern in the Cup semi-finals. We are still in a very difficult situation but the pressure is a normal thing. We have played a total of 120 minutes against Alba in these playoffs and we were the better team for 90-95 minutes - said Leibenath who surprised everyone with his tactics in the third game as he spent the most of the game playing with two point guards and a very short line-up.

Alba have a run of six wins in away games and they have never been defeated in Ulm this season. However, the defeat on Thursday has surely affected their confidence at least a bit. In terms of shooting, it was one of their worse performances this season. For instance, they had a 4/22 shot (18%) for three, and 46% for two. David Logan had a 0/6 three-point efficiency and total field goal of  1/12, while Clifford Hammonds and Jan Jagla had a 1/9 field goal. The only players that did something in offense were Levon Kendall (18 pts) and Reggie Redding (14 pts). 

- Ulm desrved to win. Despite their great performance, I would say that we defeated ourselves. We have needlessly put ourselves in a very difficult situation. It's hard to understand that we have missed so many open shots. However, we still have the lead in the series and we have to show character. It will not be easy to prepare for the fourth game in such short time but I think we have enough energy - said Saša Obradović.

- On Thursday, we just didn't score from easy positions and we were not ourselves in terms of rebounds. Now that Radošević is completely healthy, we have to use our advantage in the paint and make the job for our shooters a lot easier. 

It may sound a bit odd, but Alba got their wins against Ulm mostly through offense. Their fast offensive style suits Alba who have had an average of about 70 shots per game this season and have been taking advantage of Ulm's softer approach. The fact is that they flopped in offense on Thursday. They stayed under 80 points, but one gets the impression that was more of an exception than a rule. In five out of six H2H this season, Alba has scored 86 points or more, and have gotten 86 or more in all away games. I think it's impossible to see Logan have another 1/12 field goal and Hammond and Jagla getting 1/9. Radošević has completely recovered and can be expected in a much better form than a few days ago. Ulm are practically without a real center and a very short line-up, which Alba should be able to make us of.