Alba Berlin beat Igokea 90 to 79 in the Champions League on Tuesday evening. The home side took control early and held their nerve through a game that grew tighter as the visitors pushed back. It was not a clean performance, but the result gave them breathing room in the standings. By then, the gap had become difficult to close.
The win keeps Alba top of the table after six games. They have five victories and one defeat, sitting ahead of the chasing pack with room to breathe. The team had struggled to find consistency recently, but this was a step in the right direction. And here's the thing — they were not at their best, yet they still managed to pull away when it mattered.
Igokea remain in fourth place with just one win from six matches. They have lost five times already and are fighting to avoid being written off before Christmas. The visitors started brightly enough but gave up the ball and hit them on the break too often. Their defence could not match the intensity Alba brought, especially in the second half.
Alba shot nine three-pointers compared to Igokea's five, and the difference in turnovers told the story. The hosts committed 15 turnovers while the visitors made 19, giving Berlin extra possessions when they needed them. Rebounding was even — 34 to 32 — but Alba's offensive boards kept them in the game. To be fair, Igokea were not far behind in field goals, but the extra shots made all the difference.
Alba's recent form had been unpredictable. They lost to Trier on Sunday and dropped points against Bamberg and Bayern, so this result felt like a necessary reset. Igokea had won against Bratislava and beaten Zenit earlier in the campaign, showing they could compete. But consistency remains the problem for both sides.
The scoreline reflects a game that could have gone either way. Alba were not dominant, but they were efficient when it counted. Igokea will look at the margin and see how close they came to making it a different night.
