Germany has advanced to the 2023 FIBA World Cup semifinals after squeezing past Latvia 81-79.
Franz Wagner led the way for Germany with 16 points and Andreas Obst chipped in with 13 of his own.
Germany remains the last unbeaten team at the FIBA World Cup and survive despite Raptors’ guard Dennis Schroder having an ice cold game.
Schroder was 4/26 from the field and 0/8 from three-point range. “This is probably the worst game I ever played in my career,” said Schroder.
However, even though Schroder struggled his teammates still showed him some love:
In good times, and bad. 🥹
Dennis Schroder was showered with love despite his ice-cold performance. That’s what teammates are about. ❤️
📊 4/26 FG | 0/8 3PM | 4 TO | -10 EFF#FIBAWC x #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/BMlYMcjPh9
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 6, 2023
Schroder was a cool sport about his rough outing too. Instead of hiding, he took to social media to poke fun at his abysmal performance:
Dennis Schröder’s IG story after going 4-26 in Germany’s win over Latvia 😂 pic.twitter.com/5mc6kSoguK
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2023
This was the first off game for Schroder in this tournament. Prior to this contest, Schroder was one of the best players at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. He was averaging 19.8 points and 6.8 assists per game.
He was the engine for Team Germany’s offense and had many standout plays. Team Germany will play Team USA on Friday and if they want any chance of winning that game they need Schroder at his best.
Schroder will play against his former teammate Austin Reaves. He and Reaves helped the Lakers reach the 2023 Western Conference Finals.
Schroder has a lot of respect for Reaves and looks forward to their matchup:
“[Austin Reaves] is my guy man. I aint got nothing but love for him… Last year was special, what we accomplished as teammates. I’m looking forward to it.”
Dennis Schroder on facing Reaves in the FIBA World Cup semifinals 🙌
(via @nicoleganglani) pic.twitter.com/SfEylPP4U5
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 6, 2023
Dennis Schroder looks to bounce back
Dennis Schroder doesn’t lack confidence. He plays with great emotion and wears his heart on his sleeve. If anyone can bounce back in a big way it’s him.
Schroder has a chance to have a big redemption game on Friday against Team USA. Team Germany looks to pull off an upset for the ages.
Have you subscribed to the Raptors Nation YouTube channel? It’s the best way to watch interviews, exclusive coverage from events, participate in live shows, and more!
