By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Lille, France – In the game that decided the top of Group B, Germany had things going their way with ease.
France simply couldn’t compete with the defending FIBA World Champions, as the Germans put on a clinic and finished perfect with a 3-0 record.
The final score was 85-71 as the German national team was firing at all cylinders, getting a 48-27 halftime lead and never looking back.
Franz Wagner with 26 points – 16 of them in the first half – and Dennis Schroder with 15 points in the first half and a share of a game-high 26 points set the tone early against a disoriented France.
The hosts got 10 points from Evan Fournier and Isaia Cordinier, while Victor Wembanyama had 14 points and 12 rebounds, but he was practically a non-factor in the game.
As France head coach Vincent Collet admitted after the game: “We said this morning that we mustn’t play isolation against them. Because we have data and we knew they were the best team to defend this kind of situation, but despite that, we did it many times in the first half, and this is a lack of maturity”.
A decisive second quarter
After a three by Isaac Bonga, Germany entered the second period leading by six (24-18) and after that, France simply couldn’t stay close.
Their lead jumped to 14 points after a Schroder three (37-23), France got the timeout and when the two teams returned to the court, Germany was even better finishing the first half with an 11-4 run (48-27).
Nothing worked for the Olympic hosts on both ends of the floor, the German guards were running the show and the French side didn’t have any answer.
Easy finish
The Germans even led by 24 (57-33) and France tried to find some offensive rhythm. They got it, the stands exploded with joy when Victor Wembanyama scored a three from a really long range to make the score 57-38, but there was no coming back.
The game was balanced, the Germans kept their distance, Wembanyama air-balled a three and nothing changed until the end of the third period with the eventual winners up by 23 (69-46).
France finally woke up and started the fourth quarter with an 11-0 run to make it momentarily a 12-point game (69-57), but couldn’t do much more, ultimately settling for the second spot and a 2-1 record while Germany aims high.
To a medal maybe? “That’d be awesome, but one game at a time. I thought we got better with each game, which was good, and hopefully, the Quarter-Finals will be our best game yet”, said Franz Wagner after the ga,e.
Photo credit: FIBA