Despite considerable difficulties, the German basketball players also won their second test in preparation for the home European Championship. In Almere near Amsterdam, the team of national coach Gordon Herbert won 68:66 (34:33) against hosts Netherlands. On Wednesday a success was achieved in Belgium (87:83).
Now Herbert wants to reduce the squad to the twelve players who should win the dreamed medal at the EuroBasket with games in Cologne and Berlin (September 1st to 18th). Five professionals have to be eliminated.
Herbert brought Karim Jallow, Maodo Lo, Johannes Thiemann and Johannes Voigtmann, who had been rested in Belgium. The NBA pros Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), top scorer on his debut two days earlier, and Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers) as well as David Krämer and Andreas Obst were given a break.
“It may take two or three games before we’re really ready,” said Wagner before the duel with the neighbors. And the selection of the German Basketball Association (DBB) showed many weaknesses as before in Hasselt.
No rhythm, poor throw rates, in the first quarter almost nothing went together in the sold-out top sports center. The game remained a tough affair for a long time, even after the break the DBB team with the world number 47 had. Problems but was able to pull away for the first time.
The lead didn’t last, the Dutch came within a point in the final minute. Dennis Schröder (14 points) made the final score on the free-throw line. The best German thrower was Lo (15).
The next international match follows in a week, at the Supercup in Hamburg next Friday in the semifinals against the Czech Republic. On Saturday, the DBB team will compete in the final or the match for third place, possible opponents are Italy and Serbia.
Before the start of the European Championship against title candidate France (September 1), there will be the World Cup qualifiers in Sweden and against European champions Slovenia in Munich.