By Matthias Marburg
It’s unbelievable, but it’s really true.
GERMANY is BASKETBALL WORLD CHAMPION!
In a dramatic final, our giants defeated Serbia 83:77 and actually won the World Cup!
To put it into perspective: We have never been to a World Cup final before. Our only international title was the European Championship title 30 YEARS AGO with coach Svetislav Pesic (74), who now coaches the Serbs. Even with our all-time greatest Dirk Nowitzki (45), we only managed World Cup bronze (2002) and European Championship silver (2005).
But now our giants rule the basketball world!
The game against Serbia is a super close duel at eye level right from the start. In the first quarter, luck wasn’t on our side – several throws from the Serbs fell over the board. And Dennis Schröder doesn’t come into play.
Leader Dennis Schröder was the best scorer in the German team with 28 points Photo: AP Photo/Michael Conroy
Franz Wagner often brings the ball forward for him. He just does everything, draws fouls, scores, encourages his teammates. In the end, Serbia leads 26:23.
In the second quarter, Dennis Schröder came into the game better and sank two three-pointers. But Bogdan Bogdanovic on the other side also scores almost at will. Shortly before the end of the first half, Schröder stole the ball and hammered it into the basket with a dunk. Now he’s finally in the game! It remains close: at the break the score is 47:47.
The third quarter is completely disjointed. There is a lot of fouling and bullying – the referees have to watch controversial scenes on the monitor several times.
Berlin’s Franz Wagner scored 19 points and was voted best player of the final Photo: Michael Conroy/AP/dpa
No team can really pull away for long. But then our giants got going and led by twelve points (67:55) one minute before the end. An 11:2 run! Schröder is very strong in these minutes!
The score goes into the final break at 69:57.
Things also started well in the last quarter, Moritz Wagner made it 71:59. Then Serbia scores five points in a row, coach Fox Gordon Herbert immediately takes a timeout to interrupt the run.
Our giants are faltering, Serbia comes within four points. But then Johannes Voigtmann is there, first sinks a three-pointer, then gets the defensive rebound. What a team! But Serbia doesn’t let up and is up 75:78 with 1:21 minutes left. Next timeout from Herbert.
Then Schröder takes over again, moves to the basket, makes it 81:77. This dribbling, this acceleration – world-class! A real captain!
Best throwers: Schröder with 28 points, Franz Wagner with 19. But these guys are ALL OUTSTANDING!!!!
The world champion team
Dennis Schröder (29/Toronto), Moritz (26) and Franz (22) Wagner (both Orlando), Johannes Voigtmann (30) and Maodo Lo (30/both Milan), Niels Giffey (32), Isaac Bonga (23) and Andreas Obst (27/all Bayern Munich), Daniel Theis (31/Indiana), Johannes Thiemann (29/Alba Berlin), Justus Hollatz (22/Anadolu Efes Istanbul) and David Krämer (26/Granada).