With another win, Germany’s basketball players can take a big step towards European Championship qualification in Bulgaria (4 p.m./MagentaSport). But national coach Gordon Herbert warned against underestimating the opponent after the clear 85:61 win against Montenegro at the start. “We shouldn’t feel too safe,” said Herbert. After all, the Bulgarians are already under pressure after their opening defeat in Sweden.
The first three teams in the group of four will qualify for the European Championships next year. The tournament takes place in Finland, Latvia, Poland and Cyprus.
As against Montenegro, Herbert will have to do without almost all of the world champions in Bulgaria. Of the heroes from Manila, only David Krämer is in the squad. Dennis Schröder and Co. are either busy in the NBA or are getting a break from the national coach with a view to the Olympic Games in the summer.
But even so, Germany is the clear favorite, especially since some players still want to recommend themselves for the Olympic squad. “We have to go into the game with the same intensity as we did against Montenegro,” demanded Oscar da Silva. On Thursday, the professional from Euroleague club FC Barcelona was the best scorer with 19 points and collected plus points for a possible Olympic nomination.
