Basketball Bundesliga: Alba Berlin's early final bid thwarted by Bamberg

The Bamberg Baskets have kept their Basketball Bundesliga final hopes alive by defeating Alba Berlin 73-81 in Game 3 of their semifinal series. This victory denied Alba Berlin the chance to advance to the finals prematurely.

The series, which is a best-of-five format, now stands at 2-1 in favor of Alba Berlin. However, Alba Berlin will have another opportunity to clinch their spot in the finals during Game 4, scheduled for Saturday.

Playing in front of 5,700 spectators at the Brose Arena, Bamberg's Cobe Williams was the game's top scorer with 20 points. For Alba Berlin, Norris Agbakoko and Justin Bean were the leading scorers, each tallying 14 points.

Alba Berlin struggled to find their shooting rhythm, particularly from beyond the arc, unlike in the previous two games. Bamberg, fueled by home crowd support, gained momentum and began to pull away in the second quarter, establishing a double-digit lead that they extended to 17 points in the third quarter.

Despite Alba Berlin's defensive efforts in the final quarter, which saw them narrow the deficit to five points, Bamberg consistently responded to maintain their advantage and secure the win.