The Niners Chemnitz basketball team just can't seem to find its rhythm in the Bundesliga. Coach Rodrigo Pastore's team lost 88–98 (42–50) to the Fitness First Würzburg Baskets on Monday evening. In front of 2,501 spectators, Stefan Smith led Chemnitz in scoring with 17 points; the team now stands at 2–10 after suffering its third consecutive league loss. The Niners had a shaky start in the first quarter and fell behind 17–27, partly due to eight turnovers. Although they gained more confidence on offense afterward, they still couldn’t close the gap significantly because Würzburg shot with dreamlike accuracy from the three-point line in the first half (10/14). Even after halftime, the visitors couldn’t get a grip on the game defensively. In addition, they made numerous careless mistakes on offense, allowing the deficit to grow to 57–77 by the end of the third quarter. In the final quarter, Chemnitz fought their way back to 83–86 (37th minute) against hosts whose momentum had significantly waned, but they were unable to complete a comeback. Copyright 2026, dpa (www.dpa.de). All rights reserved
