For the German national basketball team, it's about getting into the semi-finals of the European Championship in the evening. But in Berlin one of the best basketball players in the world challenges to an explosive duel. "Greek Freak" Antetokounmpo also delighted the Germans.
Now comes the "Greek Freak"! On the way to the first medal in 17 years and the greatest success since the era of superstar Dirk Nowitzki, Germany's basketball players have to turn off one of the heaviest chunks at the home European Championship. Well, the NBA superstar doesn't hurl lightning, he hurls balls. But like Zeus in antiquity, the "Greek Freak" Giannis Antetokounmpo embodies a primal force that normal mortals can hardly grasp.
National coach Gordon Herbert is not afraid of the eagerly awaited quarter-final duel with Greece. "We don't think our journey will end," said the confident Herbert before the duel (8:30 p.m. / RTL, Magentasport and in the ntv.de live ticker) in the Arena in Berlin. Confidence was strengthened on Monday, because the impressions from training acted as an encouragement. Two days after breaking his ankle in the 85:79 win against Montenegro, young NBA star Franz Wagner was able to convert shots and sprint across the field again. National coach Gordon Herbert said cautiously: "This is the tournament of the survivors. We have two injured and one sick. We have to see how the situation is tomorrow."
In addition to Wagner (ankle), Nick Weiler-Babb (shoulder) and co-captain Johannes Voigtmann, who was the only player in the one-and-a-half-hour session due to a cold, are also questionable. During the busy training session, however, the German team around Captain Dennis Schröder felt great confidence that all three players would be able to take part in the provisional highlight of the European Championship. "If you want to achieve something, you have to win against the best teams. It will be a great challenge, we take it with pride," said Schröder. The 28-year-old, currently without an NBA contract, knows Antetokounmpo, who has been with the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013, from many duels on courts overseas.
In order to be competitive against fellow favorites Antetokounmpo, the trio should be involved. Wagner and Weiler-Babb are considered very good wing defenders and should also be used against the NBA superstar. Voigtmann's presence and experience is badly needed under the basket. Personnel or not, the 63-year-old Herbert exuded anticipation on Monday: "We challenge the best teams and the best players in the world. It's about controlling Giannis. I just don't know how yet," said Herbert with a smug grin .
The 2021 champion and most valuable player (MVP) in the previous two seasons is the focus and is an absolute figurehead even in the high-gloss NBA league. "He's Giannis Antetokounmpo. He's one of the best players in the world. He has a winning mentality, which he's brought to the NBA for years. It will be a challenge for me," said Schröder with respect for the 27-year-old.
Some German pros will have to be there to throw the 110-kilogram, 2.11-meter-tall force of nature of the Greeks out of rhythm. Or at least trying. "It's the same with him as with LeBron James. They'll do their game - in the end you have to try to scale down the others. It's almost impossible to stop Giannis," said Schröder. The Czechs showed on Sunday evening how it might be possible. In the round of 16 they had the Greeks on the brink of defeat after three quarters thanks to a great defensive performance, Antetokounmpo didn't play at all for a long time. Until he turned it up in the final quarter, suddenly hit his three, blocked, brutely pulled to the basket and ultimately scored 27 points. Greece won 94-88 thanks to the inevitable.
The German team, which has been so convincing at the European Championship so far, remains calm. Schröder and Co. defeated Luka Doncic with European champion Slovenia in the World Cup qualifiers, and at the European Championships there were victories against Lithuania and Olympic silver medalist France. "We have to play together for 40 minutes and also enjoy this game," said Herbert, who is aiming for a medal in his first tournament summer.
Tournament ambassador Nowitzki should be sitting in the stands like at the weekend and looking forward to seeing how his successors are doing. In fact, the encounter with the Greeks should be a kind of key game in the fight for the medal that was declared as a goal. Because in a possible semi-final, neither Spain nor Finland would be an unmanageable hurdle - and top favorite Serbia has not been in the tournament since Sunday evening. So if the coup against Greece succeeds, not only a medal but the first international title since 1993 would be possible.
"It will be one of the most difficult games for us," said center Jonas Wohlfarth-Bottermann, who will probably face Antetokounmpo directly under the basket. "Wobo" calls the Greek leader "one of the toughest guys" in international basketball and praises: "His athleticism is from another planet." But Antetokounmpo's big problem is the inconsistent throw, which he often tries to compensate with his speed, his power and his athleticism. "We have to be vigilant and get stops," warned Schröder.
