The German basketball players secured the group victory in the preliminary round of the European Casketball European Championship. The team around captain Dennis Schröder beat co-hosts
Finland clearly with 91:61 (50:36). It is the fifth victory in five games; No German selection had previously been made at a European Championship.
The top scorer of the selection of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) was Franz Wagner with 23 points. The Finnish NBA star Lauri Markkanen from the Utah Jazz came to eleven points.
“It was really fun,” Wagner said after the game with Magentasport. “We didn’t find our rhythm in the first quarter, but then we got it better. Now we are looking forward to Riga,” he said. Isaac Bonga was also satisfied. “It is very difficult to play against us. We are offensive and defensive in a good mood,” he said.
“We managed to always play focused,” said interim national coach Alan Ibrahimagic. “Now a new tournament begins.” As in the previous four EM games, Ibrahimagic represented national coach àlex Mumbrú. It is still open whether the Spaniard will be back on the sidelines after a illness at the start of the final round.
In the round of 16, it goes against outsider Portugal
The DBB selection was in a comfortable position after four wins with more than 100 points before the group finals. Since Lithuania beat Sweden in the afternoon (74:71), a defeat with up to eleven points differed against the Finns itself.
As a winner of Group B, Germany will meet Portugal on Saturday in the round of 16. The Portuguese are in an EM final round for the first time. The game takes place in Riga.
