It would be the worst case: Shortly before the end, captain Dennis Schröder twisted his ankle during the impressive victory of the German basketball team against the Czech Republic. He now hopes that the EM in September is not in danger. In the Supercup final in the evening, Serbia and NBA MVP Nikola Jokic are waiting for a real hit.
Led by their new captain Dennis Schröder, the German basketball players stormed into the final of the prestigious Supercup. Almost two weeks before the home European Championship, the team of national coach Gordon Herbert defeated the Czech Republic in Hamburg 101:90 (56:44) and is now playing against Serbia in the evening (6:30 p.m. / MagentaSport) for victory in the preparatory tournament for the European Championship.
Schröder played well, but he twisted his ankle just before the final siren and threatened to miss the final. "I don't know if I'm playing," said the Houston Rockets NBA pro in contrition. "He is questionable," confirmed national coach Herbert. The best German thrower on Friday evening was the outstanding youngster Franz Wagner with 26 points.
The selection of the German Basketball Association (DBB) showed a really good performance over long stretches - and not only awakened the desire for the EM among the 5619 fans in the arena. The declared aim of the team at the tournament from September 1st is a medal.
Thanks to the sovereign success against the twelfth in the world rankings, Schröder and Co. remain unbeaten in their preparation for the European Championship. The German team had previously won in the Netherlands (68:66) and in Belgium (87:83). On the way to the sixth Supercup title, a real benchmark awaits the German team with EM co-favorite Serbia around NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, the most valuable player in the best league in the world. The Serbs defeated Italy in the other semi-final 90-86.
Schröder, who was named midweek to replace non-Euro nominee Robin Benzing, made a solid debut as the leader and scored 16 points. With his lightning-fast offensive actions and some fine assists, the playmaker repeatedly caused applause in the Hamburger Volkspark. "He does a great job, both on and off the field, and is a good leader," said DBB coach Herbert, who spared NBA professional Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers) on Friday evening as well as the short-term naturalized American Nick Weiler-Babb.
A loss of Schröder for the European Championship with a preliminary round in Cologne and the final round in Berlin (September 1 to 18) would be the worst case for the national team. In advance, two NBA players, Maximilian Kleber and Isaac Bonga, had to pull out injured. At the beginning of the preparation Moritz Wagner got it. The personnel puzzle for Herbert is already difficult enough that a failure of Schröder would hardly be able to be compensated. But the injury didn't look that dramatic late in the evening. Schröder stood in the hall with his family for quite a while and also answered a few questions. "It was a step forward," Schröder summed up the game. After returning to the hotel, he should be examined and treated more thoroughly.
Wagner put on a really strong performance - and that in only his second international match. The 20-year-old NBA pro from the Orlando Magic again indicated that he could become one of the top performers at the European Championship. Wagner had already shone with 23 points on his debut in Belgium. At the start of the European Championship, the Herbert team meets France on September 1st. Before that, there are still two games in the World Cup qualifier in Sweden (August 25) and against European champions Slovenia (August 28 in Munich).
