Goal achieved. But how! The German national basketball team moves into the quarterfinals of the Olympic tournament as group winners. On Friday evening, the Germans taught host France a lesson in front of 27,000 spectators in the Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille with an 85:71 victory. At one point, the lead was 24 points. “We definitely took a step forward,” said captain Dennis Schröder. “That was a very good game from us.”
The greeting of the German team as they walked onto the pitch gave us the first taste of the atmosphere. The French fans booed the world champions in unison. A deafening chorus of whistles was directed at him shortly before the players were introduced, until a respectful silence returned during the German national anthem.
“I’m looking forward to it”
Why so hostile at times? In the first friendly match at the beginning of July in Cologne (66:90) without the Wagner brothers and Daniel Theis (7 points), Evan Fournier and Schröder (26) clashed. The Frenchman grabbed the Braunschweig player by the neck. The heated tempers cooled down quickly.
But the supporters of the Equipe Tricolore accepted the invitation. Schröder was booed every time he touched the ball during the victory in Montpellier (70:65). He expected a continuation on Friday evening in front of the predominantly French fans in the stadium of the OSC Lille football club, which has been converted into a basketball arena: “I’m looking forward to it.”
External content from Eurosport
In order to display external content, your revocable consent is required. Personal data may be processed by third-party platforms (possibly USA). More information .
Enable external content
No, he didn’t smile when he presented the ball, as he likes to do. But Schröder obviously felt good, really good. From the first second he took charge, organized, sorted, dictated. The tempo and the mood. In the chorus of whistles he showed off his class, dribbled, threw and scored at will. As if he could choose the position. He did. A “deep” three-pointer from eight meters, please.
In a chorus of whistles, he harmonized his team alongside Franz Wagner, the second “racehorse,” as coach Gordon Herbert says when he addresses the two who enjoy complete freedom in attack. And this trust was justified. The two scored 31 of the 48 points together by halftime. And encouraged their teammates to imitate them in the second quarter. Johannes Voigtmann took aim. Goals. Isaac Bonga (7), Moritz Wagner (8).
External content from Eurosport
In order to display external content, your revocable consent is required. Personal data may be processed by third-party platforms (possibly USA). More information .
Enable external content READ FULL STORY HERE>>>CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE READING>>>
The “pigs” created the basis for this attack in Herbert’s strict role play in a first-class defense against the French big names, Victor Wembanyama (14), the best debutant of the last NBA season: 2.24 meters, very agile. Four points before halftime, France overall 27:21 less than the Germans. Schröder had calmed the fans down. They only blew their whistles again at halftime. No one knew who they were playing at.
What do you do against such a style of play? Show toughness, stop the filigree, break the rhythm of the others through resistance, the others. The French increased their strength, they switched their defense from man to zone coverage. And they really did come closer, regardless of Wembanyama’s wingspan of 2.45 meters. The power came from the Germans.
28th minute: Franz Wagner (27) carries the ball, starts his attack two or three meters in front of the three-point line, accompanied by up to three Frenchmen, he flies through the zone and dunks the ball into the basket. There he stands, puffs out his chest, looks at the crowd. “We enjoyed it,” Schröder later said to the crowd. “Many people pull back, but our team is built in such a way that we take it positively, take it in a sporting manner and give it our all.”
In addition to the firm defense with quick hands and alert eyes, the wit and a strong hit rate, there is also the concentrated power in one-on-three situations: the score is 69:46 before the last quarter. There is applause. You know who it is for.
External content from Eurosport
In order to display external content, your revocable consent is required. Personal data may be processed by third-party platforms (possibly USA). More information .
Enable external content
But in basketball, ten minutes is a long time. It doesn’t take much to get back. Nine points in a row raises the hopes of the French fans. National coach Herbert tries to stop the run with a timeout. Almost seven minutes, only 14 points behind. The hall shakes. The German defense allows itself to be careless, the attack falters until Bonga scores.
The discovery of the World Cup. He came in and delivered. In France he is reliability in tipping moments. His three-pointer is followed by that of Voigtmann (6). Schröder hears the renewed chorus of whistles in his honor. He pulls against Wembanyama, his following three-pointer over the board dampens the level to the piano: 85:69 two minutes before the end.
That’s it. Or: That’s it. Because winning the group frees the Germans from a difficult draw for the next rounds. If the United States wins against Puerto Rico on Saturday – nobody doubts that – then the world champions would end up in pot one of the draw for the quarterfinals together with the NBA ensemble. The two could then only meet in the final. Who the Germans will have to play against in the quarterfinals on Tuesday will not be known until around 11.30 p.m. on Saturday, after the last group match of the preliminary round (Serbia plays against South Sudan) in Lille.
The Germans will already be in Paris by then. The space problem has been solved. On Thursday, the organizing committee informed the Germans that there was not enough space in the Olympic Village for the women’s and men’s teams, including coaches and support staff. After the DBB protested, a solution was found. The Germans belong in Paris. If only because of their game.
Related