Ludwigsburg, May 6, 2014 – A press conference was held today in the MHPArena, which looked back on a successful BEKO Basketball Bundesliga for the MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg, who - together with the other top 8 teams in the league - are eagerly awaiting the start of the playoffs. In addition to MHP RIESEN trainer John Patrick and top RIESEN player Coby Karl, President Alexander Reil and our Chairman of the Executive Board, Dr. Ralf Hofmann, also provided insights and outlooks for the upcoming BEKO Basketball Bundesliga playoffs. The first game in the quarter-final series for our team will take place on Saturday, May 10 against FC Bayern Munich. The unanimous opinion: "Game on!"
Having finished top of the league, FC Bayern Munich go into the playoffs as firm championship contenders. FC Bayern Munich ended their season with an impressive 29:5 record. MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg qualified for the playoffs by virtue of finishing 8th in the standings at the end of the regular season, thus claiming the last available playoff spot.
Thanks to our 18:16 record, the MHP RIESEN are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2007! Bayern was the winner on the two occasions that Ludwigsburg and Munich played each other this season. Bayern has, in fact, won the last six games between the teams since 2011. This record does not, however, count for much in a playoff scenario. Bayern will, nevertheless, be the favorites for the playoff series. Bayern clearly announced their championship ambitions before the start of the season. This year, they reached the Top 16 phase in the Euroleague, just missing out on the quarterfinals.
Mood looking ahead to the playoffs:
Dr. Ralf Hofmann: "At the start of the season, we didn't expect that we would be challenging for a place in the playoffs. Last year at this time, we had other topics preoccupying our minds that had to be discussed and worked out. Thanks to the great work of everyone involved, we have together - i.e. all the sponsors and the entire team - been successful in getting the MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg back on their feet". This great season has now been crowned with a place in the playoffs. The atmosphere in the MHPArena is electric".
Alexander Reil (President MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg): "The basketball in Ludwigsburg has undergone a extremely positive development this season. There is now a true identification between the team and our great fans. The atmosphere in the bleachers has "infected" the team and vice versa. We had, with an average of 3761 fans, our best attendance and a high occupancy rate in the MHPArena. The playoffs are like a new season, anything can happen!"
John Patrick (Head Coach MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg): "The playoffs are a reward for all the hard work put in by everyone involved in the team. It's basically game on! The playoffs always have a few surprises. Some players thrive under the intense pressure and take their game to another level. Entire teams can, however, also spring a few surprises. I am expecting a good game against Munich. There is a lot of positive energy in the team. We will head down to Munich on Friday so that we can prepare for the first game in a calm and focused manner."
Coby Karl (Guard/Forward MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg): We worked hard to earn our place in the playoffs. It is fantastic and we are excited to have achieved this and are looking forward to facing a top opponent. We have good players and are a real team. That is something very special. When it comes to playoff series, anything can happen. On the court, it doesn't matter where you came in the standings. It is always fun to see how you measure up against the best."
Overview of the playoff games:
1st game on May 10 at 19:30 in Munich (AUDI Dome)
2nd game on May 13 at 18:05 in Ludwigsburg (MHPArena)
3rd game on May 15 at 20:00 in Munich (AUDI Dome)
Optional 4th game on May 18 in Ludwigsburg (MHPArena)
Optional 5th game on May 21 in Munich (AUDI Dome)
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