The current world champion, Germany, continues to rack up strong results in major international tournaments. This Friday, Germany secured a spot in the EuroBasket final for the first time since 2005 after beating Finland 98-86. In search of their second title at EuroBasket 2025, the Germans will now take on Turkey in the final. Turkey overcame Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece 94-68 in the semifinal.
A key figure in Germany’s recent triumphs, Dennis Schroder once again demonstrated his decisiveness. The point guard recorded a double-double with 26 points, 12 assists (a record in a EuroBasket semifinal), and five rebounds, orchestrating the team’s potent attack. Franz Wagner, his faithful sidekick in the spotlight, followed shortly after with 22 points, 20 of which came in the first half. Orlando Magic teammate Tristan da Silva also performed well, with 13 points.
Daniel Theis, a key player in the quarterfinals against Slovenia, also had a strong performance. He was another player to record a double-double, dominating the paint with ten points and 11 rebounds. Isaac Bonga contributed ten points and five rebounds, in addition to his brilliant defensive work.
On the other side, Lauri Markkanen, Finland’s star player, was below his usual level of performance. He scored 16 points and eight rebounds, making just six of his 17 shots. On the other hand, the national team’s bench, one of the best in EuroBasket, performed well again.
Olivier Nkhamoua led the way with 21 points and nine rebounds, shooting 75% overall and 100% on free throws. Always high on energy, the promising Miikka Muurinen scored 12 points, the same mark as Mikael Jantunen, the team’s starter and top scorer in the previous round’s matchup against Georgia.
The opening minutes of the match were fast-paced, marked by excellent play from both offenses. With plenty of cuts to the basket and three-pointers, both teams provided an excellent game for the fans at Riga Arena. Wagner and Markkanen, in particular, stood out with stunning dunks. By the end of the first quarter, the Germans led 30-26.
Early in the second quarter, Germany adopted a more aggressive defensive posture and began to reap the rewards. The team was able to force turnovers and run in transition with ease, increasing their lead. On the other side, even the three-pointers had stopped falling.
And if Finland was cold, the reigning world champions couldn’t have been hotter. With a veritable barrage of accurate three-pointers, they managed to take an 18-point lead. The Germans made five three-pointers, three of which were scored by Wagner.
Besides shooting from the perimeter, the team also managed to get to the free throw line frequently, with their opponents exceeding their foul limit even before the halfway point. The Finns would only manage a brief comeback in the final stretch, especially thanks to Nkhamoua, who with great individual plays secured important points, totaling seven in the quarter. Still, they went into the locker room trailing 61-47.
Coming back from halftime, the Nordics managed to regain a good offensive rhythm. However, they remained without answers to their opponents’ attacks. The best moment of the duel came in the third quarter, when the defense finally managed to string together good plays, adopting a zonal marking strategy.
Different scorers began to contribute, and, capitalizing on offensive rebounds, Finland pulled away and cut the deficit to six points after a three-pointer by Edon Maxhuni. After nearly three minutes without scoring, Germany managed to pull one back with a beautiful layup by Schroder, and went into the fourth quarter leading 81-73.
Expectations for the final period were high, but the offense, which had been shining until that point, went into a dry spell. Both teams were scoring points only from free throws. And so, the German lead increased again. As the match entered the final stretch, a sequence of plays that had been repeated throughout practically every quarter occurred for the final time to seal the victory for the world champions.
With about four and a half minutes remaining, Jantunen hit a shot from the perimeter to cut the Finnish deficit to 12. On the very next possession, however, Schroder responded in kind with a beautiful stepback, taking the lead back to 15. No longer able to react, Finland ran into the Germans’ incredibly strong defense and thus ended their EuroBasket participation, confirming their elimination in the semifinals.
Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
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