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Neemias Queta: "You know it’s not going to be easy when you go against Germany. They’re the world champions for a reason. Very well-coached. A lot of talent, a lot of length, a lot of size. They play up-tempo. We got to make them play our game. Be physical with them. Don’t let them get easy layups in transition, easy scoring opportunities. Slow the game down and make sure they work for every bucket. We're not intimidated by Germany or anybody here in this tournament. We're just ready to go out there and compete."
On paper, Turkey and Germany have a clear path to the semifinals of the Eurobasket. pic.twitter.com/FVv99e3Qvy
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) September 4, 2025
Like it happened against Lithuania, Lauri Markkanen couldn’t save the day, and Germany got the easy 91-61 win over Finland in the last game of Group A, in Tampere. Franz Wagner was phenomenal with 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists; still, once more, the Germans prevailed as a well-oiled machine, starting from their defense.
Former long-time NBA forward and current Lithuanian national team manager Linas Kleiza was the key figure in calming the tensions that arose during halftime on Saturday. The former longtime national team player described how everything looked from his perspective. “By the time I got to the locker room, Schroder had already said a lot to (Jonas) Valanciunas about our fan and that he was responsible for it,” Kleiza recounted talking to Lithuanian media on Sunday. “Obviously, all the German players were emotional, and we had to calm things down. I went, found out what happened. One fan simply had a conflict with Schroder, and it turned into a racism scandal."
The Lithuanian fans always support their national team and delivered again in Tampere, Finland, but Germany was simply on another level. The defending world champions trailed only twice in the game (15-13, 18-15) and against Lithuania, delivered a masterclass, getting an easy 107-88 win for a 3-0 start in the tournament, scoring for the third straight time more than 100 points. Dennis Schroder with 26 points, Franz Wagner with 24, and Daniel Theis with 23 on 9/9 FG led a balanced effort as the winners shot with 58% in field goals until the end of the third period.
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The 29-year-old sharpshooter of FC Bayern Munich ended up with 5/6 triples and 18 points, including 12 in a 33-12 run for his side in the third quarter. Schroder put up 21 points. Standing out with 12 points in the first half, Franz Wagner combined a game-high 22 points with a team-high eight rebounds.
Franz Wagner: “You always have to know where he’s at. You have to gameplan for him as a team. Obviously, he’s super athletic, super fast. Super strong, and usually the tallest guy on the floor. You can’t just expect one guy to defend him well,” he talked about the Freak. “I think there are a few players in the world that are as versatile or can manipulate the game as well as he does offensively. Same thing, you can’t just guard him with one player. Have to kind of switch up the looks you give him and also be OK with him making some tough looks,” he continued with Doncic.
Franz Wagner: “I think what makes them special is that they’re most toughest to guard when they’re passing and getting their teammates involved. But at the same time, they can pretty much score one-on-one every time. That makes it really hard to gameplan for them,” he combined the Slovenian and Serbian superstars to complete a preview of potential EuroBasket matchups, “That’s why they’re some of the best players in the world.”
Germany finalized the 12-man roster for the 2025 EuroBasket upon completion of training camp games Saturday with a win over Spain. The players that compile the EuroBasket squad are the following: Isaac Bonga, Oscar Da Silva, Tristan Da Silva, Justus Hollatz, Leon Kratzer, Maodo Lo, Andreas Obst, Dennis Schroder, Daniel Theis, Johannes Thiemann, Johannes Voigtmann, Franz Wagner
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Franz Wagner scored 29 points and grabbed six rebounds as Germany beat Spain 95 – 78 to conclude its EuroBasket training camp games 5-1. Dennis Schroder provided Germany with 22 points and nine assists, creating a formidable duo together with Wagner.
The first of two friendly games between Spain and Germany, taking place in Madrid, had the guests come out on top 106-105 in crazy OT fashion. The rematch is in two days in Cologne, Germany. Dennis Schroder led Alex Mumbru against his national team, finishing with 24 points, 10 assists, and 5 rebounds in the reigning World champions’ fourth victory on the road to FIBA EuroBasket 2025. Moreover, Franz Wagner added 19 points and 7 assists.
Dennis Schroeder: I’ll never receive the same love in Germany as Dirk Nowitzki because I’m dark-skinned
“I was already sitting in front of the TV at 14, when Dirk Nowitzki carried the flag at the 2008 Summer Games in Beijing. Back then I thought: how cool, there’s no greater recognition,” said the current captain of the national basketball team in an interview with Stern. “Today, however, I know: it’s a great honor, but it will never be the same for me as it was for Dirk. I will never receive the same love in this country, because I am dark-skinned.”
Dennis Schroeder: We will win the Eurobasket
First, however, Schröder will play in the EuroBasket starting on August 27 in Finland and Latvia, followed by the next NBA season with his new team, the Sacramento Kings. The point guard has clear expectations for EuroBasket: “We will win the title. If I weren’t convinced of that, I wouldn’t play in the tournament and would rather spend my time in Braunschweig.”
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