From BZ/dpa
The medal goal has been achieved: Germany’s basketball players win bronze at the European Championships at home and end a long dry spell in Berlin. In the game for third place, the Poles are not a hurdle for a long time. In the end it will still be tight, but Schröder and Co. keep their nerves.
Goal achieved, summer crowned: Germany’s basketball players captured the bronze medal at the European Championships at home, ending a 17-year lull. Captain Dennis Schröder’s team won the game for third place against outsiders Poland 82:69 (36:23) in Berlin on Sunday and is thus back on the podium at a major event for the first time since the successful Dirk Nowitzki era. Leader Schröder controlled 26 points this time. The last time there was precious metal was in Serbia in 2005, when Nowitzki and Co. won silver.
The ninth German EM game in 18 days was marked by struggle and cramps over long stretches. In front of an official 12,913 spectators, including captain Robin Benzing, who was eliminated this summer, the Poles in particular seemed exhausted and overplayed. Germany still struggled at first and only really got going just before half-time.
Berlin’s Maodo Lo in a duel against Poland’s Olek Balcerowski in the game for third place Photo: firo Sportphoto/picture alliance
In contrast to the basketball festival evenings against Greece (107:96) in the quarterfinals and Spain (91:96) in the semifinals, the atmosphere in the arena was a bit more subdued this time. A piece of basketball euphoria had arisen in Germany in the past few days – also because RTL broadcast all three German games on free TV from the quarterfinals onwards.
The medal coup in his first tournament is to be credited to national coach Gordon Herbert. The 63-year-old has had to contend with many adversities since taking office a year ago: he contested the World Cup qualifiers with a B-Team, and there were also no solid components for the home European Championships, such as Maxi Kleber, Moritz Wagner or Isaiah Hartenstein. But Schröder carried the functioning collective into the semi-finals and thus further than the NBA stars Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Luka Doncic (Slovenia) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) their teams, which were traded much higher at the beginning.
In order to leave the European Championship happily and proudly, the small final had to be won. “I hope that the boys will reward themselves today,” said Ingo Weiss, President of the German Basketball Association (DBB) before the game. Head coach Herbert relied on the same team that narrowly lost to Spain on Friday evening. “It wasn’t just the physical recovery that was important, but also the mental one,” said Herbert on RTL. He also blamed himself for the defeat in the semifinals.
Franz Wagner cheers Photo: Soeren Stache/dpa
The game against Poland was initially characterized by a lot of lack of concentration and mistakes. Symbolically, there was a free dunk by NBA professional Daniel Theis, who didn’t put the ball in the basket, but carelessly put it on the ring. Captain Schröder, who was so strong earlier in the tournament, also needed some time to warm up, but was again Germany’s top pitcher at half-time with twelve points.
His predecessor Benzing sat in the first row and kept clapping good actions. “The boys all greeted me before the game, so pee came into my eyes,” said the 33-year-old at Magentasport. The sorting out in August did not go peacefully, but Benzing was back in time for the medal game – at least as a spectator and fan. Of course he was disappointed, but he watched all the games, Benzing added.
Johannes Voigtmann said after a mixed half, which still ended with a 13-point lead: “Defensively, we benefit from the fact that the Poles don’t score much either. But overall the defense is okay.” Theis made it clear that it was a lot about the mental side. As in the 54:95 against France in the semifinals, the exhausted Poles didn’t have much to worry about at first. But then the Herbert team suffered a blatant slump, Poland equalized to 59:59. But then the German three-pointers finally fell and the medal party for Schröder and Co. could begin.
Spain secured the title in the evening with a convincing 88:76 victory over France. Germany’s captain Dennis Schröder was voted into the all-star team at the European Basketball Championship. The 29-year-old point guard was honored for his outstanding performance at the European Championships with a preliminary round in Cologne and the final round in Berlin.
