After gold in 1993, silver in 2005, and bronze in 2022, German basketball players secured their fourth medal at the European Championships.
There was still one step left to win the second title after the current world champion easily won the semi-final match against Finland - justifying its role as a favorite and celebrating 98:86.
The Finns, the absolute sensation of Eurobasket, opened the match better and reached an eight-point lead early (14:6) with a great shot from outside the 6,75 line, but then Germany imposed its rhythm. And by the end of the first quarter, they had put things in their place...
The opening minutes of the second period made it clear that there would be no excitement in the first semi-final of the European Championship. Denis Šruder and his teammates created and easily maintained a double-digit lead and after 20 minutes of basketball, they scored as many as 61 points - it was 61:47.
The continuation brought a maximum plus 18 (70:52), but also a reaction from Finland, which came within "two possessions" of the deficit at the end of the 3rd quarter and reduced it to 77:71. However, that was all, as the rival quickly regained a secure lead.
Schruder had 26 points and 12 assists for the winners, Franc Vagner scored 22, and on the other side - just like in the duel between the same rivals in the group - the first star Lauri Markanen failed.
The Utah basketball player had 16 points, but only made six of 17 field goals...
The Germans thus fulfilled their first goal, securing the medal, and on Sunday at 20 pm they will decide the cup with the winner from tonight's duel between Turkey and Greece (20).
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