Basketball players celebrate the opening victory
Germany clearly beats Japan at the start of the World Cup
08/25/2023, 4:08 p.m
The German basketball players had to wait 17 years until they were successful at the start of a World Cup. The team clearly wins against Japan with 81:63 and can have legitimate hopes of winning the group. A German NBA star stands out in particular.
On their way to the medal they had dreamed of, the German basketball players around Captain Dennis Schröder didn’t give Japan their opponents at the World Cup a chance and set a first exclamation mark at the tournament. In Okinawa, the team of national coach Gordon Herbert clearly beat the hosts at the start of the preliminary round with 81:63 (53:31), in the tricky group E this means second place behind the upcoming opponent Australia, who beat Finland at 98:72 (45:40 ) dismantled.
The best thrower in the selection of the German Basketball Federation (DBB), who had disappointed four years ago in 18th place at the World Cup in China, was the brilliant Moritz Wagner with 25 points. His younger brother Franz (10), Schröder (14) and Daniel Theis (13) also scored double digits in the Okinawa Arena. It was the first World Cup victory since 2006, when the German team had also defeated Japan.
It continues on Sunday (10.30 a.m. CEST) with the game against the Australians, on paper the duel for group victory. Finally, Finland awaits on Tuesday (9.30 a.m./all free of charge at MagentaSport). Two teams make it to the intermediate round, all results are taken.
Threesomes often go wrong
“It will be a ‘dogfight’,” NBA professional Schröder had predicted with a view to the Japan game, and Yuta Watanabe caused the German team problems in the early stages. The only NBA pro in the Japanese squad hit his three-pointers up front and blocked shots at the back. But the favorites stayed cool, dominated and quickly pulled away to ten points (18:8/7th minute).
Both teams initially threw lousy from the line of three, actually one of Japan’s strengths. Even Watanabe (Phoenix Suns) and Yudai Baba, who was strong in the second quarter, couldn’t prevent the world number 36. fell further and further behind. Moritz Wagner, who was injured in the bronze coup at the home European Championship last year, shone on the German side in this phase.
Germany showed a concentrated performance, exploiting their size advantages on the board, hitting better and better from the three-point line and dominating Japan. Even before the break the lead was more than 20 points (45:24/19th).
Herbert used all twelve professionals and especially at the end spared his stars, but the eleventh in the world rankings didn’t miss a beat. The DBB team, which had long annoyed the Olympic champion USA at the dress rehearsal in Abu Dhabi and wants the second World Championship medal after bronze in Indianapolis 2002, used its depth and brought the victory safely home. The only concern: Franz Wagner twisted his left foot in the final phase and had to be treated.
The German team fulfilled the high expectations at the tournament in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. For example, the former national coach Dirk Bauermann trusts the team “at least the semi-finals”, “if it’s enough for a medal, there’s a bit of luck involved,” said the 65-year-old to the editorial network Germany.
Unlike in 2019 in Shenzhen, when the DBB team completely overslept the start against France and suffered a defeat, the first step has been taken in Okinawa.