By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Jonas Valanciunas had the best performance yet in the Eurobasket 2022 with 34 points,14 rebounds, and five assists, while Franz Wagner also got 32 points and eight rebounds.
Still, in the end, it was Maodo Lo with two huge threes that made the score 109-104 in the second overtime and decided the final 109-107 win. In total Lo had 21 points, while Dennis Schroder also added 25 points and eight assists.
Ignas Brazdeikis missed the lay that could have sent the game to third overtime and at the buzzer, Arnas Butkevicius had the last chance for a three, which also didn’t go in.
“Lithuania is a very strong team and I think that every game is a fight for us and that was not different”, said Lo. “I think that we have demonstrated our character and our togetherness as a team”.
On the other side, coach Kazys Maksvytis said in the press conference that his team may protest the result, as they did a bit later: “We are not happy, we have always the same referees. We don’t understand some actions and especially today with two extra times our players had some injuries. We may protest”.
The game was close from wire to wire with Germany getting momentarily in the second period a nine-point lead (30-21). Still, the score was tied at 63 after a three by Ignas Brazdeikis in the last minute of the third period which ended with Germany being up by one (66-65).
The hosts entered the last five minutes leading by three (78-75) after a layup by Daniel Theis. That proved to be the start of a 6-0 run (82-75) that gave to Germany a key advantage.
Lithuania cut the lead to four (84-80) but Wagner hit a big three (87-80) making Germany feel comfortable.
However, it was not the end of it. With Valanciunas leading the charge, Lithuania had a 9-2 run in the next 2,5 minutes, tying the score at 89 with seven seconds left in the game. Dennis Schroder missed and we got overtime.
Germany once again got the last shot in the extra time, with Wagner this time missing at the buzzer, setting the stage for a second overtime.
Germany remains on the top of the standings of Group B, while Lithuania remains without a win, proving that this is for real the “Group of Death”.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL