After an amazing cup week, it is time for the men’s play-offs to start this weekend!
In fact, it is the first time that we will see the new play-off format (picture) with matchups in a best-of-3-series over 3 rounds (quarter finals, semi finals, finals (best of 5)).
Program:
Saturday (3 games)
16:00 Sparta – T71
20:30 Résidence – Amicale
20:30 Basket Esch – Heffingen
Sunday (1 game)
17:15 Etzella – Arantia
This Saturday, the top seeded team Sparta will start the play-offs against T71, the team that managed to make the play-offs in dramatic fashion on the last game day 2 weeks ago. The team from Dudelange has absolutely nothing to lose, they saved their season by avoiding the relegation group and now all the pressure is on Bertrange to defend their role as the favorite in this series.
Number 2 seeded Résidence will face neighbor Amicale in a derby matchup in the first round of the play-offs. The team from Walferdange lost its leading position last week as the team had to play without their professional players for some games. Amicale enters the series as the undedog but both teams split the season series and the season has whown that most teams are playing on a similar level. Résidence announced on Tuesday that they have added Tylik Evans to the team because Armon Fletcher is still not ready to return.
After winning the cup competition last weekend, Basket Esch certainly celebrated for a few days but the team will regain its focus and try to win a possible double title. Heffingen has won both matchups this season against the opponent and both teams were tied in the standings after 22 games so that this should become a thrilling series.
On Sunday, Etzella will get a chance to take revenge against Arantia, the team that eliminated them from the cup competition last week. In the championship, Etzella came out on top twice against the team from Larochette but as the cup competition has shown, both teams are capable of winning this series.
The relegation group features 4 teams that are already separated by a lot of points in the standings. With only 6 games remaining, Racing Luxembourg and Telstar Hesperange are under pressure from the start as they need to climb the standings. Only the best team of this group is sure to play in the LBBL next season. The second seeded team will play a best-of-3-series against the third best team from the National 2, currently Bascharage. Every game and every point will be important over the next weeks.
The program:
Saturday (2 games)
18:30 Musel Pikes – Telstar (This game has been cancelled and will be rescheduled)
20:30 Contern – Racing
Standings:
1. Contern 31 points
2. Musel Pikes 30 points
3. Telstar 28 points
4. Racing 26 points
Only 2 more game-days and two rescheduled games remain to be played in the women’s second round of the regular season before the play-offs will start in about 2 weeks.
This weekend, a full game day is scheduled as league leader T71 has to regroup after a bitter loss in the cup final on Saturday and focus on the championship. The team of coach Jérôme Altmann is on the road in Contern, Dudelange is already sure to start the play-offs as the number one seeded team. Cup winner Résidence will host Basket Esch and the team from Walferdange wants to finish the season second and they have the chance to do so over the next weeks.
Saturday (3 games)
18:30 Résidence – Basket Esch
18:30 Contern – T71
18:30 Gréngewald – Amicale
Sunday (1 game)
15:15 Etzella – Musel Pikes
In the promotion and relegation group, only 3 games are left to be played and the teams from the second league have a home game this weekend.
Saturday (2 games)
16:30 Racing – Wiltz
18:00 Zolwer – Sparta
