- No Olympic victory for world champion basketball player only for bronze
The German basketballers' golden dream has burst in a bitter way. The World Champion lost to host France in the semi-finals of the Olympic Games in a dramatic match 69:73 (33:33), missing out on the final. Instead, Dennis Schröder and co. will now battle for the bronze medal on Saturday (11:00 AM) in Paris. Their opponents will be either the NBA stars from the USA or Serbia.
France took revenge impressively in front of 15,000 euphoric fans for the clear defeat in the preliminary round in Lille. Dennis Schröder was the top German scorer with 18 points. The German team, which experienced a performance drop in the second half, suffered its first defeat in a tournament game since the lost semi-final against Spain at the 2022 home European Championships. Last year, the team led by coach Gordon Herbert stormed to the title without a defeat.
Nowitzki back in the hall
"That a German team becomes EM bronze medalists, World Champions, and then reaches the semi-finals of the Olympic Games - I would never have thought that was possible," basketball legend Dirk Nowitzki said to the German Press Agency before the duel with the host. In his era, Germany won bronze at the 2002 World Championships and silver at the 2005 European Championships. At the Olympics, it didn't go beyond the preliminary round.
Nowitzki was also in the first row for the semi-final. He saw a German team that, unlike in the quarter-finals against Greece, was fully awake from the start. Schröder and Franz Wagner immediately took control, Germany quickly went up 11:2. The World Champion initially had the game under control in the surprisingly not sold-out Bercy Arena.
Wembanyama starts poorly
The French, with NBA center Rudy Gobert initially only on the bench like in the quarter-finals against Canada, didn't find their rhythm at first. Basketball prodigy Victor Wembanyama found no rhythm at all and had no points or rebounds in the first quarter.
Without the 20-year-old giant from the San Antonio Spurs, the hosts found their game. The German team took the task too lightly for a moment, allowing France to close the gap to two points (16:18). Herbert reacted and brought in Nick Weiler-Babb and Isaac Bonga for new defensive energy. By the end of the first quarter, Germany was up 25:18.
Hard defense on both sides
However, France was a completely different opponent this time than in the clear 85:71 win for the German team at the end of the preliminary round in Lille. A week ago, the hosts had given Schröder and co. a memorable lesson. This time, the team led by coach Vincent Collet countered with tough defense.
In the German attack, not much was working anymore, with the World Champion only scoring eight points in the second quarter. At halftime, the French had equalized at 33:33, also thanks to Wembanyama significantly improving and scoring seven points.
Offensive struggle for the World Champion
After the break, the German team continued to struggle offensively. Franz Wagner, who had been outstanding in the first duel with France with 26 points and spectacular dunks, could hardly get through against the aggressively defending French.
With a six-point lead, they went into the final quarter, where the offensive struggles of the German team continued. Driven by Energizer Guerschon Yabusele, France pulled away further, with Wembanyama scoring a three-pointer for a 10-point lead (63:53).
Driven by their fans, the French played themselves into a frenzy and ended the German dream of gold abruptly. A final comeback, in which Franz Wagner brought Germany to within two points with a three-pointer in the final minute, was not enough.
Despite the setback, Dennis Schröder and the German team still have an opportunity to claim bronze, facing either the USA or Serbia in the match on Saturday. Their summer game in Paris will serve as a chance to recover from the bitter loss to France in the semi-finals.
France, on the other hand, will aim to carry the momentum from their summer game victory over Germany into the Olympic final, seeking to avenge their clear defeat in the preliminary round and secure the gold medal.
