First Rudy Gobert, then Jusuf Nurkic, now Jonas Valanciunas: After the top start in the European Championship at home, Germany's basketball players also want to defeat the third team with a top center from the NBA.
The 76:63 against France and the 92:82 against Bosnia-Herzegovina are to be followed by the next coup today (2.30 p.m. / Magentasport) in Cologne: If the team of national coach Gordon Herbert also defeats the still winless co-favourites Lithuania, for the final round in be planned in Berlin.
"Lithuania are a very talented team, well coached and a great basketball nation. That's all I know," said head coach Herbert after his team turned the game against Bosnia-Herzegovina with high morale. What shouldn't have escaped the 63-year-old coach's attention: Lithuania has loud and excellent fans with them, who should be able to challenge Germany for home advantage.
Top scorer Schröder wants to improve
"Lithuania will be a very tough opponent again, who will also bring a lot of fans with them. We watch videos and try to get better and then be ready," said captain Dennis Schröder, who was the top scorer of the German team with 18 points against Bosnia-Herzegovina , but is still struggling with his shaky throw. "I will keep throwing and put my teammates in the limelight," announced Schröder. It's impressive that we still managed to win two games. Lithuania has lost both games so far, on Saturday there was a narrow 73:77 against France. After the Germany duel, the supposed outsiders Bosnia-Herzegovina and Hungary are waiting.
In addition to the 28-year-old playmaker Schröder, there are other convincing protagonists in the ranks of the Germans: Young star Franz Wagner impresses as in his first NBA season, also in his European Championship debut. Johannes Voigtmann and Daniel Theis dig under the basket and relieve Schröder offensively. And the bank around Johannes Thiemann, Maodo Lo and Andreas Obst has been working very well so far. "It's awesome. It makes you want to play here. The fans are incredible," said Thiemann after another game in front of more than 18,000 spectators in Cologne.
In the preliminary round season B, which is treated as a hammer group, the hosts have been the benchmark so far. "The fact that we kept cool heads and played like this says a lot about us. We stayed together as a team," said Schröder. Outstanding defense against the French, great morale against Bosnia: This is how head coach Herbert likes things to continue. Defending champion Slovenia with Luka Doncic, who is also in the group, was defeated just a week ago in the World Cup qualifier.
