EuroBasket Roundup: Wagner Backs Germany From Sidelines, Doncic Dominates, Larkin Targets Medal, Serbia Upset
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Germany clinched a spot in the EuroBasket quarterfinals with a victory over Portugal earlier today, but forward Franz Wagner said the moment felt incomplete without his older brother, Moritz Wagner, who remains sidelined by a left ACL tear sustained in December.
“He’s watching all the games for sure,” Franz Wagner noted, adding that Moritz is currently working as a television analyst in Germany. “I know that he would love to be here.”
Moritz Wagner has represented Germany for more than a decade, highlighted by an undefeated run to the 2023 FIBA World Cup title and MVP honors in the qualifying tournament for the 2020 Olympics. While he recovers, Franz led Germany with 16 points against Portugal and said his brother’s advice has been simple: “Just have fun, go out there and enjoy the game.”
Doncic Nearly Records Second Straight Triple-Double
Luka Doncic followed Sunday’s triple-double versus Belgium with 37 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in Slovenia’s win over Israel on Thursday. “We think we can win a medal,” the All-NBA guard said. “Everybody that’s here, we all believe in everyone.”
Larkin Wants to Reward Turkiye
Former NBA guard Shane Larkin, now a star in Turkey’s domestic league, said earning EuroBasket hardware would be “everything” to him. “If I’m part of the team that went out there and did something special, bring a medal back home to Turkiye, it would mean everything to me,” he told reporters.
Serbia Falls to Finland
Serbia’s head coach Svetislav Pesic cited a lack of physical readiness after an upset loss to Finland in which his team surrendered 20 offensive rebounds. “You need to be in better physical shape at a tournament like this,” Pesic said, noting that several players were injured or ill. “Those things are not excuses, but when you play against a team like this, you need to be physically stronger.”
Source: Hoops Rumors
