“It’s amazing. It makes you want to play here. The fans are amazing,” said Johannes Thiemann, who was again valuable after Magentasport’s success. A weak start can happen. “It’s even more important to come back like that and play like that in the second half.” On Sunday (2:30 p.m. / Magentasport) things continue for Germany. Then another favorite Lithuania is the opponent in Cologne. Another win can make progress complete.
As against France, the German team started weakly and acted nervously at first. Especially aggressively, Schröder and Co. often made the wrong decisions and had to make so many difficult throws. Non-club professional Schröder scored six points in the first quarter, but he was unable to give the German game any real shape.
As in the opening match, players from the bench kept the hosts in the game. Maodo Lo and Thiemann scored important points, after ten minutes Germany was only two points behind (18:20) despite a mixed performance.
increases after the break
Safety did not come to Germany’s game in the second quarter either. Although the German team continued to fight and impressed with Theis’s stunning dunk off Schröder’s pass, Herbert’s pick never really got off the ground. Seven turnovers in the first half hampered the flow of the game for the German team, who earned a break and thus fell behind.
After the break, the spectators saw a completely different German team. Germany pulled back by as much as ten points, but then two important players, Wagner and Voigtmann, committed four fouls on the bench. But Germany survived this hectic phase and went into the final quarter with a lead of twelve points. There, Obst hit important threes and provided a nice cushion.
In addition, exchange center Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann shined with a great block and his first points in the tournament. “I’m happy for Wobo, he came with a lot of energy this time,” said Herbert of the Hamburger, who had been very unlucky at the start against France and was barely used due to foul trouble.