Germany defeat Serbia in battle of Novi Sad to secure Group G crown

NOVI SAD (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) – The unstoppable Germany continued to plow through their opponents in the FIBA Basketball World Cup European Qualifiers, silencing a sold-out crowd at the Spens Arena in Novi Sad with an 88-81 victory against the Aleksandar Djordjevic-coached Serbia.

Even a 22-point and 11-rebound effort from Serbian giant Boban Marjanovic wasn't enough to save the hosts from defeat, as Dennis Schroder and company came from behind in the fourth quarter to push their Group G record to 6-0 , leaving Serbia in second place in the standings with a 4-2 mark.

Turning point: The home side looked like the more likely winners throughout the contest and led 81-76 with as little as 1:08 left in the game. But the script flipped against them as Stevan Jelovac picked up an unsportsmanlike foul while trying to secure a rebound, allowing Germany to score six points in a single possession and go up 82-81 after Maik Zirbes completed the sequence by dunking on Marjanovic. 

Game hero: Although Schroder finished with a team-high 21 points and 6 assists, it was Maximilian Kleber's efficient three-point shooting that gave Germany a chance to swing the contest in their favor to begin with. The 26-year-old Wurzburg native finished the night with 16 points and 7 rebounds, while connecting on 3-of-4 of his three-pointers.

Stats don't lie: With the Serbian side down 84-81 and needing a three-pointer to tie, the ball ended up in the hands of Vasilije Micic, who had been 0-of-11 from the field until then. He finished the game 0-of-12 and Serbia went on to pick up a loss.

Bottom line: Both of the teams progressed to the Second Round, where they will be joined by Group G opponents Georgia, as well as Greece, Israel and Estonia from Group H.

They said: "My teammates did a great job tonight. They kept telling me keep shooting the ball, keep trust in yourself. Maik Zirbes, Maxi Klebber... Everybody did a great job, I could name the whole team. I’m just proud of them." – Germany star Dennis Schroder

FIBA