After a roller-coaster game, the German basketball players advanced to the quarterfinals of the home European Championships. Against the outsider Montenegro, the score was 85:79.
After a big lead, they had to tremble again: German basketball players performed the mandatory task of Montenegro without shine and reached the quarter-finals of the European Championship. After the festival week in Cologne, the team around captain Dennis Schröder struggled 85:79 (48:24) in the round of 16. On Tuesday at the Mercedes-Benz Arena, on the way to the medal you dream of, you may have to face the “Greek freak”. The next opponent will be the Czech Republic or Greece around NBA superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Schröder and Daniel Theis returned to the starting five, as national coach Gordon Herbert rested both in the last meaningless group game against Hungary (106:71). Nick Weiler-Babb was out again with shoulder problems, and Andreas Obst stood in for the American at tip-off.
A strong start
“I hope that we will do well in the role of favourites. If we do well, we should actually win,” said German basketball idol Dirk Nowitzki ahead of MagentaSport’s round of 16. In the opening round, four wins from five games, the team finally “fueled enough confidence.”
There was no trace of nervousness, the German team started very focused. After the big problems of the tournament so far, Schröder immediately scored the first three goals and quickly scored 11:2 (4th minute). Due to the small mistakes made in the attacks, the opponent got into the game better and got a little closer, but the phase only lasted for a short time. Berlin’s Maodo Lo and Johannes Thiemann brought plenty of energy off the bench, and the hosts dominated the rebounds in front of 12,938 spectators.
Schroeder as director
In just their third international match against the Montenegrins, after two previous defeats, Herbert’s protégés were in control and kept pulling away. The lead was double-digit at the beginning (21:10/11.), before the break there were more than 20 points for the first time (40:19/18.). Schröder’s shot didn’t fall, but the playmaker deftly controlled it and repeatedly set up his teammates in a way that was worth seeing. After going to the locker room, the man from Braunschweig had seven assists.
From the stands, EC ambassador Nowitzki saw a complete false start to the second half as Montenegro finished with 14 points in a 13-0 run. Top scorer Schröder (22 points) hit an important three-pointer, making the score 56:40, but the rhythm went completely. Then Franz Wagner (14 points) injured his right ankle and followed the last quarter with a thick ice pack on his leg. And it got exciting. Montenegro shortened its lead to 77:80 (40th minute) with the second run.
Antetokounmpo could wait
Only late on Sunday evening (20:45 / MagentaSport) will it be decided who the semi-final ticket is up for. The German team is likely to have a much higher caliber, the Greeks around Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) are clear favorites against the Czechs in the last 16 round.
The DBB team is in the quarterfinals for the second time in a row. In 2017, a loss against Spain (72:84) prevented them from reaching the semi-finals. The third EC medal after the gold in 1993 and the silver in 2005 is in Berlin.