European Basketball Championship 2015 in Berlin: Germany with opening victory against Iceland – Tagesspiegel

05/09/2015 23:15 clock From Lars Spannagelhaus <- inteaserpicposition: 1 -> <- self.position:! 1 -> <- classid: hcf center -> <- position: center -> <- inisprint: false -> <- inhaspic: true ->

The defeated German Basketball National Team Iceland the EM-kick narrowly and also has to cope with bad news.

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Dennis Schröder rocked by one foot to the other, as if to prefer to dance immediately begin. It was no rhythmic beats that boomed through the Berlin Arena am Ostbahnhof, but the rather solemn melody of the German national anthem. Schroeder Hibbeligkeit was to understand thoroughly, including the 21-year-old and his team-mates had been working towards this moment for weeks. The European Basketball Championship on home soil should finally start

At the start of the group stage, the German team put however a cramped slow dance on the dance floor, on Saturday afternoon gave it against outsiders Iceland to an arduous 71:65 (41:26) victory. Schröder collected 15 points, six rebounds and four assists. Dirk Nowitzki also came to 15 points and seven rebounds fetched to

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“We have missed it, shut the bag,” Nowitzki said. The German team of coach Chris Fleming was the game almost slipped away after a 18-point lead, just before the end, the fight strong Icelanders had worked their six points before the Germans saved the victory to the finish. This Sunday (15 clock, live on ZDF) waits with Vice World Champion Serbia a “different caliber” as Nowitzki said, “but who will play nice tired against Spain”.

The Serbs fought in the evening Although a big fight with Spain, are also likely to go to the inspired play against Germany to its 80:70 (34:36) victory against raging fans but. The game Italy against Turkey was not yet completed at press time. Flemings team must achieve in the group of six at least fourth place, in order to qualify for the knockout stage of the tournament in Lille.

Nowitzki is not good to play

The German team did themselves against the physically inferior Icelanders very difficult. Far too rarely succeeded Flemings team to get the ball close to the basket. Also Nowitzki took quite a while to find his rhythm, long time Germany seemed only thanks to Schröder’s swiftness forward to lie. Only a final spurt to end the first half with eight points from Nowitzki let them pull the Germans. The several hundred Icelandic fans in the sold out with 12 500 spectators Arena got their money

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Over time, however, makes evident that the Icelanders in section a head were smaller than their German opponent: Flemings team dominated the rebounds and sat on 61:43 off – without the two NBA pros Schröder and Nowitzki on the field. Then, however, the Germans experienced a shock. Robin Benzing went eight minutes before the end of play on the ground and talking to catching his left ankle. The 26-year-old limped to the bench and could not continue the game.

In the evening the German Basketball Federation announced that Benzing will turn against Serbia. Whether Benzing can participate in the tournament again, is unclear. A subsequent nomination is excluded according to the regulations. Should Benzing be seriously injured, the German squad would shrink to eleven men. . After having Elias Harris, Daniel Theis and Maxi Glue three power Been failed Forwards injured, was Benzing Nowitzki’s first substitution at position four

Courage made national coach Fleming that Alex King Benzing took good: The captain of Alba Berlin played with a lot of fighting spirit and scored six points. Whether the game was a good start to the tournament, the coach was asked. “I think so,” Fleming said. “Well it was not.”

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