Basketball players correct disastrous starts with a big fight
The German basketball team is in the Olympic semi-finals. The road there leads through Greece and is anything but easy. The world champions got off to a very poor start and had a lot of trouble offensively for a long time.
Dirk Nowitzki jumped up, applauded a row of cheering German fans, and quickly left the hall. The German basketball icon thus left the stage to his successors, who, after a initially tough but ultimately convincing struggle for a place in the Olympic semi-finals, proudly looked out at the stands of the Bercy Arena with a smile. From there, they were enthusiastically cheered on by an enthusiastic audience.
"To a certain extent, this is what we expected. We came here to win," said national coach Gordon Herbert after the 76:63 (36:36) win against a very uncomfortable Greece with NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo. Fueled by fan Nowitzki, the German world champions came a huge step closer to their dream goal of winning an Olympic medal, as they now have two chances for a podium finish.
"It will definitely be difficult"
The first ten minutes against the aggressive Greeks initially looked bleak. "In the first quarter, it was a bit difficult for us, but that's what makes a good team, being able to adapt," said Franz Wagner. He was the top scorer of the DBB team with 18 points, also strong on both ends of the field: Johannes Thiemann. Antetokounmpo's 22 points could not prevent the first semi-final appearance of the German men at the Olympic Games.
In the round of the last four, Germany will play against host France or co-favorite Canada on Thursday. A win, and the third medal at the third major tournament in a row would be within reach for the German team - otherwise, there's still a chance for bronze. "It will definitely be difficult, no matter who we play against," said Franz Wagner.
When the long-range shots fall, it's going well
In the Bercy Arena in Paris, captain Dennis Schröder and co. only managed to build on their strong performances from the group phase late against the stubborn Greeks. With a perfect record of three wins from three games - including an impressive win against co-favorite France to finish - the German team had moved from Lille to the Olympic Village in the capital over the weekend. Accordingly, the starting position for the duel with the Greeks, who had just made it into the quarter-finals as one of the two best group third-placed teams, was clear: Germany was the clear favorite - despite Antetokounmpo.
The two-time NBA MVP immediately took on responsibility, Greece got off to a much better start. But because the long-range shots also started to fall after the first quarter (11:21), the German team managed to catch up before half-time: Nine seconds before the end of the second quarter, Theis scored in cooperation with Schröder to equalize with an alley-oop.
The game remained close for a while, although the Germans were now finally in the game. When Isaac Bonga scored from long range at the end of the third quarter to make it 59:52, even Nowitzki raised his fist on the sidelines. And even afterwards, the 46-year-old had reason to celebrate: Germany held on to the lead - and is now fighting for the medals.
The German team's journey to the Olympic semi-finals took them through Greece, facing challenges along the way. After securing their spot, they are now preparing to face either France or Canada in Paris, recognizing that the upcoming match will be demanding.
Franz Wagner, one of the team's top scorers, acknowledged the initial difficulty against Greece but praised their adaptability, assuring that they will face their next opponent with determination.
