RheinEnergie Cologne coach Sasa Obradovic lamented his side's hectic schedule after they slipped to an 82-78 overtime defeat to Walter Tigers Tubingen.

Continued success in the EuroCup has left Obradovic's team looking fatigued in the Bundesliga and they put on a below par performance in Tubingen.

"We've got to learn from this defeat, but on Tuesday we are back in action and have to get going again," said Obradovic, after his side's longest game of the season.

Cologne had the chance to seal a win in normal time after racing to an eight-point first quarter lead.

They remained six points ahead going into the final quarter, but lost their nerve and missed key free throws that would have given them a 10-point advantage and, in the end, needed a last-ditch Michael-Hakim Jordan two-pointer to level.

Jordan's heroics at the next buzzer forced an extra period of overtime, but a three-pointer from Bingo Merriex eventually clinched an 82-78 win for the home side.

"We should have won this game in regular time," said Cologne director of sport Stephan Baeck, who knows his side face one game every four days this month, without Ademola Okulaja, who moved to Khimki Moscow this week, and the injured Glen McGowan.

ALBA Berlin await Cologne next weekend and they continued their march at the top of the Bundesliga with a 113-97 win over Karlsruhe - Cologne's midweek opponents.

GHP Bamberg remain hot on the heels of ALBA after their crushing 75-47 triumph over EnBW Ludwigsburg, which kept them in second place.

EWE Baskets Oldenburg have played two games more than the top two, but bagged valuable points after winning 68-66 in Braunschweig to stay level with Bamberg, while eight sides remain in the race for the remaining play-off places.

Barring an end-of-season collapse, Bundesliga newcomers Eisbaren Bremerhaven are set for a top-eight finish, particularly if they maintain the form that earned them a 75-71 win over Telekom Baskets Bonn on Saturday.

TBB Trier lost ground after a disappointing 94-67 defeat to struggling Sellbytel Baskets Nurnberg, while the Giessen 46ers are heading in the right direction following an 86-74 success in Quakenbruck against the Artland Dragons.