TAMPERE (Finland) - Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder combined to devastating effect as Germany continued their impressive start to FIBA EuroBasket 2025, beating Sweden 105-83 in Tampere.
The dynamic duo was a class act throughout, as the Germans never trailed to go 2-0 in Group B.
Turning Point
Germany led from start to finish, as they shot an impressive 62 percent from the field in the first half before settling on 61 percent come the final buzzer. They settled on a double-digit lead late in the opening period and, except for the first possessions of the second, never surrendered that cushion.
Short-handed Sweden battled, but without the services of Pelle Larsson and Simon Birgander, it was always going to be a difficult task, as they shot 45 percent from the floor.
TCL Player of the Game
Wagner was sublime throughout, finishing with 21 points on a solid 6-for-11 from the field for Germany and earned TCL Player of the Game honors.
Schroder led the winners with a game-high 23 points along with 7 assists in front of Sacramento Kings head coach Doug Christie, who watched on from the sidelines. Melwin Pantzar impressed with 18 points for Sweden.
Stats Don't Lie
Up against a Sweden side without Larsson and 6'10" forward Simon Birgander, who were both sick, Germany saw the golden opportunity to attack the basket, and they did just that, going 26-for-33 from the foul line and also hitting 11 triples to boost their final tally. In contrast, Sweden only managed 14 trips to the charity stripe, connecting on six of them.
Going up against a team boasting Schroder, Wagner, Daniel Theis, and Andreas Obst will always be a challenging task, and so it proved. Sweden conceded 59 points in the first half of a EuroBasket game, which was their second-highest total since giving up 61 points against Bulgaria in 1965.
Bottom Line
So far, so good for Germany, who are flawless in Tampere. They can go 3-0 on Saturday as they face off against Lithuania. Sweden drops to 0-2, as they continue to search for their first win at EuroBasket. They play Great Britain on Saturday.
They Said
"We controlled the game from the beginning. We started better than in the first game, especially offensively. We attacked, we moved the ball well, we shot a great percentage from the three-point line," - Alan Ibrahimagic, Germany assistant coach.
"We came out strong, we had an 8-0 start and they came into the game a bit afterwards, but we were able to keep the lead for the whole game, and we kept our identity and playing style that we want to play, which is good," - Maodo Lo, Germany,
"I was proud of our guys' mindset. We're missing two important players today, and that's not an excuse, but I think our guys handled it on the court very well, mentally. They worked as hard as they could all game, and that's part of us. - Mikko Riipinen, Sweden head coach.
"It's always hard playing against Germany, they have their trademark, they're pretty consistent, it doesn't matter who they play, they play the same style, they're world champions for a reason. For us, I think we had a lot of good minutes where we played good basketball," - Barra Njie, Sweden
For more quotes, tune in to the official post-game press conference!
FIBA