Silencer against Doncic: After marching into the round of 16 of the European Championship at home, the German basketball players conceded their first defeat despite a hard fight.
Due to NBA star Luka Doncic’s 80:88 (36:44) duel with European champion Slovenia, national coach Gordon Herbert’s team in Cologne lost the chance to win the group early and now needs support in the preliminary stages. round finale.
If the Slovenians, who clearly lost to the German team in the last training session in Munich (71:90), also beat France on Wednesday, they will be guaranteed the first place in the B season. Regardless of how the selection of the German Basketball Association (DBB) plays against Hungary afterwards (20:30). If you manage to beat the taillight, at least second place is guaranteed – important for the starting position before the final lap.
Doncic harasses his opponents
Nine days after the match played in the World Cup qualifiers at the Audi Dome, the game started with a shock for the Slovenians. Center Mike Tobey landed on the umpire’s leg after the first jump ball, twisted his ankle and wandered to the locker room. A minute later, however, the Indian returned.
The German team initially had completely different problems. Of the first nine shots from the field, only one ended up in the basket. As last time, captain Dennis Schröder had no hand at all from the three-man line, the Slovenians managed to open a double-digit gap early (24:14/11 minutes).
The European champions were visibly hot for revenge against Munich. Doncic in particular unnerved his opponents, and he already had 17 points at the break. Although the offensive plays of the DBB team went a little better in the second quarter, the gap did not decrease.
The DBB team comes back strong from the break
“We couldn’t control Doncic, we definitely have to do better in the second half,” said Johannes Thiemann. MagentaSport: “We’ll gather in the dressing room now – and then it will look better.”
The beginning was promising. The playmaker Schröder sank a three-pointer, which was shortened to 50:52 (27th) by the so strong Franz Wagner in the thriller against Lithuania (109:107 aet2.V.). The Slovenians scored poorly at this point, but recovered.
Schroeder the best thrower
After victories over France, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Lithuania, the first setback threatened, Doncic and Co. scored a ten-point tie again (55:65/31). Andreas Obst was always successful, but the Slovenians around top scorer Doncic (36 points) always had an answer. The game ended when Edo Muric scored at the free throw line after an unsportsmanlike foul by Schröder. The situation was 86:80.
Schröder, who had to go to the locker room early after boarding the flight shortly before the end, was the home team’s leading scorer with 19 points in front of about 18,000 at Cologne’s Lanxess Arena. On Saturday (18:00), they will face Spain and Turkey in the round of 16 in Berlin.
SID
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