REIGNING FIBA World Cup champions Germany moved on to the medal rounds of the 2024 Paris Olympics men’s basketball tournament after strangling Greece 76-63 in their quarterfinals clash inside Pierre Mauroy Stadium in Lille, France.
The Germans had to power through a rough start as the Giannis Antetokounmpo-powered Greek side opened a 12 point lead in the first quarter to set the tone for an upset.
But Germany locked down on defense in the next three quarters, as they tied the game by halftime before limiting the Greeks to just 27 points in the second half while relying on the brilliant Franz Wagner to carry them on offense as they moved a win away from winning their first ever Olympic medal in the country’s history.
Wagner finished with 18 points and three assists for the World Champions, hitting some big shots late in the fourth to fend off every Greek attempt at a comeback down the stretch.
Dennis Schroder also did a great job at the point position for the Germans as he finished with 13 points and eight assists.
Now assured of a top four finish, the Germans continued their best streak in the sport as they’ll end up with their best finish in the quadrennial games regardless of the result of their next two games.
They’ll be waiting for the winner between hosts France and the red-hot Canada which also happens on Wednesday, 12 midnight (Philippine time).
Antetokounmpo finished with 22 points and three assists for the FIBA OQT Piraeus winners while Thomas Walkup added 12.
But the talent difference couldn’t be any more evident down the stretch as by focusing on blanking Antetokounmpo, they were able to shut down the entire Greek offense and take the fight out of them.
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