Germany beat Czech Republic 115:82 to reach DBB Supercup final
Germany defeated the Czech Republic 115:82 in the DBB Supercup semi-final and advanced to the final, where they will face Croatia.
Germany cruised past the Czech Republic 115:82 in the DBB Supercup semi-final in Hamburg, setting up a title match against Croatia. Croatia had earlier edged Turkey 95:94 in the first semi-final.
Despite being the reigning world and European champions, Germany faced a stubborn Czech side in the opening half. The visitors even held the lead on several occasions, and the teams went into the break with Germany up just 50:49. The home side changed the pace in the third quarter, producing a 17-point run that broke the game open, before adding a 13:0 stretch in the final period.
Johannes Thiemann delivered an efficient outing, scoring 20 points on 13-of-15 shooting in 16 and a half minutes while pulling down nine rebounds. Oscar da Silva added 18 points, and captain Dennis Schröder finished with 17 points and ten assists. For the Czechs, Richard Bálint stood out with 27 points, hitting six of his 11 three-point attempts.
The Czechs were the only team among the four participants that failed to reach the next stage of World Cup qualifying. They now shift focus to the EuroBasket pre-qualifying subgroup, where they will face Belgium and Norway.
Both Germany and Croatia own a 5-1 record in World Cup qualifying, with matches against Latvia (3-3) looming. Croatia defeated Germany 93:88 at home earlier in the campaign, while Germany returned the favour with a 91:89 overtime win in Bonn.
