Dennis Schroder had a difficult time finding his shooting rhythm, but his teammates stepped up to support him. Germany successfully halted Latvia’s impressive performance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and advanced to the Semi-Finals in Manila with an 81-79 victory.
The game featured seven ties and 15 lead changes, with the last one occurring in the third quarter. Germany managed to create some distance between themselves and Latvia after that.
Coach Gordie Herbert is now preparing his team for the Semi-Finals against the United States, while Latvia is heading to the Classification Games 5-8.
Latvia employed a strategy of putting the taller Rodions Kurucs on Dennis Schroder, and Coach Luca Banchi’s plan paid off as Schroder, the superstar, struggled with his shooting, making only 4 out of 26 attempts.
This tied Kirk Penney’s infamous ‘record’ for the most missed shots in the history of the World Cup, as Penney had a 7/29 shooting performance against Russia in 2002.
Schroder finally found his touch in the second half, making his first two shots, which seemed to ignite motivation in his teammates as well. The Wagner Brothers, especially Franz, made significant contributions.
Franz returned to the lineup after missing most of the World Cup due to injury. When he took over ball-handling duties at the start of the fourth quarter, Germany went on an 8-0 run, highlighted by a powerful dunk from Moritz, extending their lead to 70-59 with eight minutes remaining.
Despite an 11-point deficit, Latvia remained determined.
Arturs Zagars showcased his skills once again, scoring 24 points, including several remarkable left-handed finishes in traffic, bringing the score to 81-79 with just over 30 seconds left.
In a critical moment, Germany entrusted Dennis Schroder with the ball, but he missed a floater. During the ensuing transition, Davis Bertans attempted a game-winning three-pointer, but it bounced off the rim and went out of bounds as time expired.
“It’s fun, honestly I’m happy as a teammate because he makes stuff a lot easier, and he wins you games,” Moritz Wagner said. “As a brother, I’m happy that he’s smiling, that he’s relieved.
“On a human side, that stuff sucks, man. It’s emotionally draining to be hurt, not knowing when you’ll be back. To see him play like this, do what he loves, what he does best, it’s amazing.”
Watch the game highlights between Germany and Latvia in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023:
