Year commences with home loss for ART Giants in Dusseldorf
In a fiercely contested match, ART Giants Düsseldorf came up short against Phoenix Hagen, losing 76-88. The game was marked by the Giants trailing for a significant portion of the match, with a comeback that fell just short of victory.
The first quarter set the tone for the game, as Hagen's focus and concentration paid off, resulting in a 14-point lead for the hosts. The Giants struggled with their defense and rebounding, allowing Hagen to maintain their advantage.
Despite an improved shooting percentage of 71:83, the Giants were unable to overturn the deficit. The shooting discrepancy between the two teams resulted in a 20-point lead for Hagen at halftime.
Coach Zazai expressed his dissatisfaction with his team's performance, stating that they need to be focused from the start and dictate their own game. The Giants' performance was disjointed, with many individual actions and a lack of team play.
The second quarter followed a similar pattern, with Hagen consistently extending their lead. By the 14th minute, Hagen had an impressive 58% shooting percentage, while the Giants had a below-average shooting percentage of 39%.
In the third quarter, neither team found their rhythm, but the Giants managed to close the gap somewhat through free throws, keeping the deficit at 20 points. However, the guests' lead grew to 27 points in the third quarter.
In the final quarter, the Giants made a valiant comeback attempt but ultimately failed to overturn the deficit. The scoring for the Giants was spread out, with Hart (14), Averette (11), Tucker (1), Teichmann (10), Fleute (1), Richardson (4), Giese (7), Okpara (2), Henry (10), Marshall (6), and Edwards (new) contributing to the team's total.
Despite the loss, the Giants will look to regroup and improve their performance in their next match. The search results did not reveal any specific information about which players made their first appearance for ART Giants Düsseldorf in the match against Phoenix Hagen.
