After a very good Eurobasket at home last summer, theGermany confirms its return to form and its return to the fore in the 2023 World Cup. After an easy first match against Japan, Gordon Herbert’s men did indeed follow up this Sunday with a success against Australia, much more adversity important.
And this without Franz Wagner, hit in the ankle against Japan and therefore rested for the clash against the Boomers. Proof that the Mannschaft has a concrete collective, capable of sticking together and holding on.
” It was great teamwork. Franz Wagner was unfortunately absent, but we knew that we still had enough resources, because we are united. We’ll be calmer when Franz comes back, but I’m damn happy we got away with it against Australia without him. », declared thus Dennis Schröderonce again the strong man of the German selection with his 30 points, 8 assists and 4 interceptions.
Decisive Lieutenants
But the most representative performance of this dense German rotation came from Maodo Lo, the understudy of the Raptors point guard. Coming off the bench, the new leader of Milan cut Australia’s racket by punishing the excessive “switches” of Patty Mills’ teammates.
” It was a big battle, a crossover. It’s a good performance for us, to beat a team of this caliber. Franz was absent, but it was precisely at a time like this that we showed that we are a big collective, with other players who raise their level of play to compensate Maodo Lo added. ” It was me today, but it could have been anyone else. This is the strength of our collective. »
A collective within which we must also highlight the contribution of Daniel Theis And Johannes Voigtmannless “flashy” than that of Dennis Schröder and Maodo Lo but just as valuable, particularly in the paint against a not particularly imposing Australian interior sector (16 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists combined for the two interiors).
” It was a hell of a basketball game, which ended up being played with one possession. I thought we started well and finished well. The start of the fourth quarter was a tipping point for us, as we had lost the momentum for the first three or four minutes. “, concluded a satisfied Gordon Herbert, while Germany, after the elimination of France, are now big outsiders, just like Canada, to get a medal behind the United States.