Germany and Greece inaugurated the knockout stage of the Olympic Games with their quarterfinal clash at the Bercy Arena in Paris. The reigning world champions, Germany, emerged victorious with a 76-63 win.
The Germans entered the quarterfinals as the leading team from Group B, boasting a flawless 3-0 record after defeating France, Japan, and Brazil. Conversely, Greece advanced as one of the top third-placed teams, despite a 1-2 record, thanks to a critical win against Australia.
Greece started the game strong, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and a well-coordinated team effort, establishing dominance on both ends of the court. They quickly surged to a 10-2 lead and maintained a significant 18-6 advantage despite Germany’s timeout. Franz Wagner struggled offensively, shooting just 1/5, and Greece ended the first quarter with a 21-11 lead.
Germany began to bounce back in the second quarter, propelled by Nick Weiler-Babb and Moritz Wagner. They leaned heavily on three-point attempts but only converted three out of 12 midway through the quarter. Isaac Bonga helped close the gap to 31-27 as Germany tightened their defense. Dinos Mitoglou found scoring opportunities, but Germany’s improving offense tied the game at 36-36 by halftime.
The third quarter saw both teams exchanging mini-runs. Germany initially took the lead after a three-pointer by Dennis Schroder, making it 41-38. However, Greece responded with three consecutive three-pointers by Thomas Walkup and Kostas Papanikolou, reclaiming a 47-42 lead. A pivotal moment occurred when Giannis Antetokounmpo picked up his third personal foul midway through the quarter. Germany capitalized on this, closing the third quarter with a 59-52 lead.
In the final quarter, Franz Wagner found his rhythm, scoring crucial baskets. Schroder and Wagner sealed the game, with Schroder nailing a deep three-pointer to put Germany up by 15 points. The rest of the game was routine for Gordon Herbert’s squad, as they secured their spot in the semifinals.
The top scorer for Germany wa Franz Wagner with 18 points (8/17 from the field), while Dennis Schroder contributed 13 points and eight assists. For the Greek team, Giannis Antetokounmpo led with 22 points.
Germany now awaits the winner of the Canada vs. France match, scheduled for today at 6 PM, to determine their semifinal opponent.
Final Score: Germany 76, Greece 63 (21:11, 25:15, 23:16, 17:11)
Arena: Bercy Arena, Paris | Officials: Vazquez (Puerto Rico), Batista (Puerto Rico), Kozlovskis (Latvia)
Germany Roster: Bonga 9, Da Silva, Lo, Giffey, Weiler-Babb 5, Voigtmann 7, F. Wagner 18, Theis 6, M. Wagner 8, Schroder 13, Thiemann 10, Obst
Greece Roster: Walkup 12, Larentzakis, Moraitis, Toliopolous 7, Calathes 5, Kalaitzakis 1, Papagiannis, Charalampopoulos, Papanikolou 10, Chougkaz, Antetokounmpo 22, Mitoglou 6