First DBB bankruptcy at Eurobasket
World star shows Germany hard on the borders
09/06/2022 10:32 p.m
After three victories at the start, the DBB team leaves the court as losers for the first time at this European championship. Defending champion Slovenia breaks the successful streak of the German basketball players. The difference is embodied by the world star who towers over this evening: Luka Doncic.
After marching through to the round of 16 of the home European Championship, the German basketball players suffered their first defeat despite a tough fight. Due to the 80:88 (36:44) duel with European champion Slovenia for the outstanding NBA star Luka Doncic, the team of national coach Gordon Herbert in Cologne missed the chance to win the group early and now needs support in the preliminary round final.
“In the end, it wasn’t enough offensively to compensate for what Luka did. We discarded too many free things. It wasn’t a brilliant performance offensively and we didn’t really find the means defensively,” said co-captain Johannes Voigtmann at Magentasport . The center added: “He can play basketball well.” Franz Wagner, who was weak this time, said: “We have to play a bit more physically and become smarter.” The tournament was “up and down”.
If the Slovenians, who clearly lost out to the German team in the last dress rehearsal in Munich (71:90), also beat France on Wednesday, they are guaranteed first place in Season B. Regardless of how the selection of the German Basketball Association (DBB) then (8.30 p.m. / MagentaSport) plays against Hungary. If you manage to win over the tail light, at least second place is guaranteed – important for the starting position before the final round.
Nine days after the match in the Audi Dome in the World Cup qualifier, the game started with a moment of shock for the Slovenians. Center Mike Tobey landed on the umpire’s foot after the first jump ball, twisted his ankle and hobbled into the dressing room. Minutes later, however, the native American returned.
Schröder’s unsportsmanlike foul sealed the defeat
The German team initially had completely different problems. Only one of the first nine throws from the field ended up in the basket. Like last time, captain Dennis Schröder had no hand at all from the three-man line, the Slovenians managed to open a double-digit gap early on (24:14/11th minute). The European champion was visibly hot for revenge for Munich. Doncic in particular unnerved his opponents and already had 17 points at the break. Although things went a little better on offense in the DBB team in the second quarter, the gap didn’t get any smaller.
“We didn’t get Doncic under control, we definitely have to do better in the second half,” said Johannes Thiemann at MagentaSport: “We’ll gather in the dressing room now – and then things will look better.” The start was promising. Playmaker Schröder sunk a three, which in the thriller against Lithuania (109:107 a.e.t.2.V.) was so strong Franz Wagner shortened to 50:52 (27th). The Slovenians scored weakly in this phase but recovered.
After the victories over France, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Lithuania, the first setback threatened, Doncic and Co. again drew ten points away (55:65/31st). Andreas Obst was always successful, but the Slovenians around top scorer Doncic (36 points/10 rebounds) always had an answer. The game was over when Edo Muric scored on the free-throw line after an unsportsmanlike foul by Schröder to make it 86:80.
Schröder, who had to go into the dressing room early after boarding shortly before the end, was the host’s best thrower with 19 points in front of around 18,000 spectators in Cologne’s Lanxess Arena. In the round of 16 on Saturday (6 p.m. / MagentaSport) in Berlin, they will face a team from parallel group A with Spain and Turkey.