Basketball: Wagner decides EM thriller – Lithuania protested

Copyright: dpa

Franz Wagner celebrates victory over Lithuania with Jonsa Wohlfahrt-Bottermann and Johannes Thiemann on September 4, 2022.

Even before the German team’s game against Lithuania, it was clear: this Sunday (September 4, 2022) the sold-out Lanxess Arena will be a cauldron in front of 18,070 spectators. The many German fans, including Dortmund’s soccer world champion Mats Hummels and his teammates Nico Schlotterbeck and Gregor Kobel in the front row, cheered on their team, but thousands of Lithuanians dressed in green supported their selection, which was also peppered with NBA stars.

But they didn’t expect such a basketball thriller! In the end, hardly a fan could stay in their seats. Twice it was a draw at the final whistle, both times the game was extended by five minutes.

Right from the start things got down to business in Cologne’s sports temple. Dennis Schröder and Co. asserted themselves against the physically strong Lithuanians and headed for their third win in three games. After two defeats, the Balts had their backs to the wall at the start and desperately needed a win. They acted accordingly.

Basketball EM: Germany with the better start

After the first quarter it was still a tie, but then the German team put in an intermediate sprint and led 30:21 after 14 minutes. Always strong in this phase: Maodo Lo and also long-range shooter Andreas Obst, captain Dennis Schröder was more responsible as an assistant.

Copyright: dpa

Prominent visitors: Mats Hummels (left) and his Dortmund teammates Nico Schlotterbeck (right) and Gregor Kobel in the Lanxess Arena in Cologne.

Then suddenly Franz Wagner (21) was on fire: The Orlando Magic shooting star hit two threes in a row, already had an unbelievable 18 points at the break, the outstanding German was on the floor, led the statistics in points, rebounds, steals and blocks on.

Copyright: dpa

Unstoppable: Germany’s national basketball player Franz Wagner pulls to the basket against Lithuania on Sunday (September 4, 2022).

And the game developed more and more into a giant duel between Wagner and Domantas Sabonis (28), in the NBA with the Sacramento Kings under contract, and above all Jonas Valanciunas (30), who played for the New Orleans Pelicans in the North American elite league plays. He led the Lithuanians’ comeback, scoring 34 points, but had to abandon the press conference, plagued by cramps after the 50-minute battle. Wagner kept fighting back, pulled to the basket, shot from outside and got important rebounds.

Germany vs. Lithuania: Thriller in the closing stages

But the Lithuanians stayed tuned, the game heated. The strong Maodo Lo conceded a technical foul after a controversial decision, suddenly equalized (63:63), Lo responded with a three, but Sabonis and Co. struck again and suddenly led 68:66. Now it finally became a thriller.

The game went back and forth, the Lanxess Arena boiled. Dennis Schröder put Germany back five points four and a half minutes from time. But Lithuania equalized seven seconds before the end, Dennis Schröder missed the chance to win in the final second.

Forgotten free throw: Lithuania lodges a protest

Germany was lucky: After a technical foul, the referees forgot a free throw for Lithuania. It could no longer be made up for. Although the Lithuanians protested against the game rating, ex-professional and European champion Stephan Baeck explained to EXPRESS.de in the stands why it will not be successful: “When the action is over, it can no longer be repeated. Then the game continues.”

And that’s how it happened: On Monday (September 5), the FIBA ​​Europe Association reacted with a statement: “The single judge considered the protest inadmissible because the reason for the protest was delivered outside the set period of 60 minutes after the game. They also noted that if the protest were admissible, it would have been dismissed because the reason given is not one of the reasons on which a protest can be lodged.”

In the overtime, however, the Balts were more alert and quickly pulled away to four points. But 30 seconds before the end, Dennis Schröder equalized again with a three-point game to make it 96:96. An offensive foul by the Lithuanians brought the DBB team into possession with 6.2 seconds left on the clock.

But the Germans didn’t use this chance either and had to go into the second overtime. Schröder missed the decision shortly before the end, the Lithuanians had the victory in their hands in the final second, but missed the three and so Germany won 109:107, has more than one foot in the final round in Berlin.

Franz Wagner: “It was wild, it was really cool!”

“It was definitely wild, but it was really cool,” said Wagner at MagentaSport: “The atmosphere is awesome here. That we came back like this: Games like this are still a bit better.” Coach Herbert was amazed at his youngster: “It’s hard to believe that he’s only 21 years old.” And Dennis Schröder praised: “If he keeps going like this, he will be a very, very big one.”

While Wagner accepted the award for player of the game from Cologne basketball legend Klaus Zander, Mats Hummels congratulated Dennis Schröder. The wave of success of the German basketball players in Cologne continues!