By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
MANILA, Philippines – The German national team wrote history by beating Team USA in the Semifinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, earning a ticket to the big final scheduled on Sunday against Serbia, which previously had the better of Canada.
In order to do so, they also relied on Johannes Voigtmann’s contribution, who had a hot start and concluded with an all-around performance of 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists. “Qualifying for the Olympics is up there, but I think this is tough to beat”, he said in the mixed zone when asked if this was the best night of his life.
Most importantly, who really stepped up was Andreas Obst, who was essential for his team’s win with 24 points, 6 assists, and 4/8 from deep. “We always say Andy is the best shooter on the planet. He’s unbelievable, he can make a shot from everywhere with this mindset of keeping it cruel. That shot at the end was so crucial for us, and the inbound play”, Olimpia Milano’s forward commented on his game.
“I’m so happy for him because he’s a very nice guy. An unbelievable basketball player, he fits perfectly in our team. I’m super happy for him to deliver a game like that, on this stage, in this tournament, in this semifinals”, Voigtmann also said about his teammate.
Finally, the 30-year-old took time to speak about the USA’s weaknesses, playing on the inside. “When you look at how teams put them into difficulties it was always the inside game: the first half against Montenegro and the whole game against Lithuania, they had some problems inside and we wanted to play through our strengths. We wanted to dominate the glass and I think we did a pretty good job”, he finally stated.
PHOTO CREDIT: Marco Brondi / Ciamillo-Castoria
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