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Franz Wagner leads Germany into EuroBasket quarterfinals after dramatic late surge
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- Franz Wagner leads Germany into EuroBasket quarterfinals after dramatic late surge
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The post Franz Wagner leads Germany into EuroBasket quarterfinals after dramatic late surge appeared first on ClutchPoints .
Germany punched its ticket to the EuroBasket 2025 quarterfinals with an 85-58 win over Portugal on Saturday in Riga, riding a late surge to secure the result. Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner played a central role in the victory, continuing his strong tournament run.
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Wagner finished with 16 points, seven rebounds, five assists, and a steal across 27 minutes. Although he shot just 4-for-11 from the field, his perfect 8-for-8 performance at the free throw line, coupled with his all-around contributions, gave him a team-high efficiency rating of 21 and a plus/minus of +20. His effort helped Germany pull away after a closely contested three quarters.
Through six games, Wagner ranks among EuroBasket 's top performers, averaging 20.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.5 steals while shooting 52.6% from the field and 33.3% from three. He also holds an efficiency rating of 23.8 and a plus/minus of 22.3, leading Germany to an unbeaten 5-0 record in group play.
Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder matched Wagner with 16 points of his own while adding three assists, three rebounds, and a steal. He shot 6-for-15 from the field and 4-for-5 from the free throw line in 31 minutes, closing with an efficiency rating of 9 and a plus/minus of +15.
Magic duo Franz Wagner, Tristan da Silva shine as Germany storms past Portugal
© Mike Watters-Imagn Images
Orlando Magic forward Tristan da Silva provided a spark off the bench, scoring 11 points on perfect shooting. He went 4-for-4 from the field, including 3-for-3 from three-point range, while adding three rebounds and a steal. His contributions over 14 minutes earned him an efficiency rating of 14 and a plus/minus of +9.
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Despite their overall dominance at EuroBasket, averaging a tournament-best 105.8 points per game with a margin of victory of 32.8 points in the group stage, Germany had to grind against Portugal. The contest was tight heading into the final quarter, with Germany holding a slim 52-51 lead.
From there, the team erupted, outscoring Portugal 33-7 in the final frame to secure the 27-point victory. Their defense tightened while Wagner, Schroder, and da Silva provided crucial baskets to seal advancement.
Germany stays unbeaten at EuroBasket 2025 to secure quarterfinal berth
Germany's acting head coach Alan Ibrahimagic, filling in for head coach Álex Mumbrú, who was sidelined due to illness, acknowledged the difficulties of the matchup.
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"The first half wasn't that bad offensively, we just didn't make shots and were a little bit tight and trying to get this fun back that we usually have. I don't know if we needed it but we have to face whatever comes," Ibrahimagic said.
"It was a really tough game," he added. "Portugal made it really hard for us. As we expected, they played physical (and) they controlled the defensive rebounds very well. So, we couldn't really play our game — couldn't run, get many offensive rebounds and second chance points. We had some good shots, but didn't make any in the first half. (We) wanted to stay calm … Finally, in the last quarter, we came through."
Germany, now 6-0 at EuroBasket, advances to the quarterfinals where they will face the winner of Italy (4-1) versus Slovenia (3-2) on Wednesday. With Wagner anchoring the frontcourt and consistent support from Schroder and da Silva, Germany remains one of the favorites to make a deep run in the tournament.
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