Reaching the play-offs will be difficult, but coach Thomas Crab believes that his team is in a positive spiral. “We would like to keep this in order to conclude the Elite Silver in an appropriate manner.” — © Gregory Van Gansen
Basketball BNXT League – Elite Silver: Basket Brussels – Okapi Aalst 75-71
Aalst –
A narrow derby defeat in the Brussels Palace 12 could well block Okapi Aalst’s way to the play-offs. Coach Thomas Crab is already loading up his troops for the home match against Kangaroos Mechelen next Saturday in the Forum.
In Brussels, five thousand spectators were announced for the annual gala match, but things did not go that well. “We played in a nice setting and there was a special atmosphere, but it is a bridge too far to speak of a thrilling atmosphere,” the Aalst coach looked back on an exciting derby that ultimately turned in Brussels’ favor. “We created some nice combinations, especially in the second half. We kept fighting and we climbed alongside. Details decided profit and loss. We drew the short straw, but I saw a team that showed mental toughness.”
On Saturday, Okapi Aalst will visit with Kangaroos Mechelen, the leader in the Elite Silver. Okapi now has one point less than Brussels and two less than Mechelen, Leuven Bears and Bergen. “We knew we had to complete a flawless course. So reaching the play-offs will be difficult. We still have a water chance. In the Elite Silver I saw the team find a new breath. We lost some close games in the regular season. Apparently we can now control that, like against Yoast United. I also saw us perform dominantly on a few occasions, such as against Kortrijk Spurs and Leeuwarden. So we are in a positive spiral. We would like to keep this in order to conclude the Elite Silver in an appropriate manner.”
Depending on captain
Crab guided Martins Meyer to the exit and brought in Pape Badji as a replacement – a switch that seems to be paying off. “Badji, like Meyer, came back after a long inactivity, but he does provide a positive vibe. Badji is also a good fit in the group.”
In the meantime, Okapi remains highly dependent on captain Ivan Maras, who did not have a great day in Brussels. “It starts and it ends with Okapi still with Ivan Maras, yes. The advantage is that Maras still has more good days than bad. The disadvantage is that it is difficult for us to compensate for a bad day by our captain. Our young Belgians have been involved for a few years now. Stef Schauvlieger scored twenty points last week and was also very strong in the narrowly lost match against Limburg United. We must also continue to take poor performance into account.”