Alba Berlin overcomes 13-point deficit to beat Bilbao

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Alba Berlin defeated Surne Bilbao 103:100 in the Basketball Champions League. The Berlin side overcame a 13-point deficit, took the lead in the third quarter and won in front of 8,171 spectators at the Arena am Ostbahnhof. Sportschau’s game report details the action right through to the final free throw.

Alba starts strongly as Bilbao stays on top

The game in Berlin was physical from the outset. Alba quickly found its rhythm offensively, but shots initially fell on both sides of the court. The Berlin side’s disadvantage under the basket was evident: Surne Bilbao repeatedly collected rebounds and converted them into points. As a result, the hosts were already behind at the end of the first quarter.

The gap grew even larger in the second quarter. Because Alba went 3.5 minutes without scoring, Berlin initially trailed by 13 points. The Berliners struggled defensively and were “almost always a step too late,” according to the report. This allowed Bilbao to score on numerous relatively straightforward attempts.

Before halftime, the Berliners reduced the deficit. The score after the first two quarters was 43:48. The clear advantage had therefore become a close contest by the break, although the real turnaround was not yet complete.

26:11 run puts Alba back in front

After the break, Bilbao initially extended its lead to 61:48. Alba then fought back into the game. A 26:11 run allowed the Berliners not only to erase the deficit but even to take the lead at the end of the third quarter.

This run was the emotional turning point of the game. The previously clear favorite from Spain became a comeback side that created tension again in the closing phase. Alba had not only stabilized defensively but also scored the necessary points. “Alba’s run creates a dramatic fourth quarter,” the report summarizes this phase.

Nine-point lead almost given away again

In the fourth quarter, the Berliners initially extended their lead to nine points. At one stage, Alba led 81:72. The game therefore appeared to be settled, but the final minutes became close once again.

With 54 seconds remaining, the Berliners were surprisingly trailing 97:98. They had surrendered their lead within seconds and were again facing defeat. This was the moment when what had looked like a victory in the table and group became a genuine final battle.

Nevertheless, Alba found the decisive answers. A layup from Jordan Ford and a three-pointer from Justin Bean roughly ten seconds from the end put the Berliners ahead by four points. Bastien Vautier subsequently reduced the deficit, but Bean converted another free throw in the final second to seal the 103:100 victory.

Bilbao then did not have enough time for a controlled shot attempt. Bean’s second free throw and the remaining time secured Berlin’s success. The decisive points therefore did not come from a long, open attack, but from a series of short plays in precisely the seconds when the game could have turned again.

Angel and Ford lead Alba’s comeback

Brandon Angel scored 24 points and Jordan Ford 21, making them the Berliners’ leading scorers. Ford was therefore not only one of the main driving forces behind the victory but also played a key role in the decisive closing phase: his layup helped erase the 97:98 deficit. Justin Bean also made crucial contributions to Bilbao’s 103:100 defeat with his three-pointer and the final free throw.

The situation before the game was unusual: both Alba and Surne Bilbao were unbeaten to that point. Alba was therefore playing not only against another team that had also started without a defeat, but against its direct rival at the top of Group G. Following the win, Alba stands alone at the top of the table.

Sportschau reports in detail on Alba Berlin’s 103:100 victory and comeback against Bilbao: Alba Berlin overcomes 13-point deficit to beat Bilbao. The broadcast and audio were aired on rbb|24 on 28/10/2026 at 10:45 p.m..