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Greece’s men’s basketball team, which features Milwaukee Bucks megastar Giannis Antetokounmpo, was not supposed to have much trouble against Germany on Tuesday. But that’s why they actually play the games, because after a rough first quarter, Germany exploded against Greece, eventually overtaking them and winning 76-63. Giannis scored 22 points, but that alone wasn’t enough to push the team to victory.
Very few would have predicted that kind of score after watching the first quarter. Greece jumped out to a 16-4 lead midway through the first quarter while Germany couldn’t buy themselves a basket. But in the second quarter the Deutschland hoopers tightened up their perimeter defense and remembered how to shoot. They ate into Greece’s lead, outscoring them 25-15 in the second quarter and managing to tie the score 36-36 at halftime. From there, Germany was able to steadily build a lead that rivaled the one Greece had on them early in the game while Greece struggled to get the ball through the basket.
The standout stars for Germany were Franz Wagner (18 points, three rebounds, two assists) and Dennis Schroder (13 points, eight rebounds). Both made a number of critical plays, but the most memorable was the late-game dagger Schroder hit from downtown to give Germany a 15-point lead, their biggest of the day.
DENNIS SCHRODER FROM THE PARKING LOT E! and Peacock | #Paris2024 pic.twitter.com/IcMxd4ksyK
NBA (@NBA) August 6, 2024
That basket sealed the deal for Germany, which now moves on to the medal round for the first time in the country’s history.