By Semih Tuna/ info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Starting with 1/24 from beyond the arc until early in the second half and ending up with 10/36, Germany overcame three-point struggles to beat Portugal, 85-58, in Xiaomi Arena.
Besides Johannes Voigtmann being ruled out by Germany for the remainder of the tournament, Portugal’s Diogo Ventura sat out on Saturday due to injury. In contrast, Alex Mumbru returned as the head coach of the winning side after missing a dominating 5-0 tally in Group B of EuroBasket 2025.
With the 46-year-old Spanish tactician in charge, the reigning world champions switched from Tampere to Riga, adding yet another win. After seven lead changes, eight straight points shaped a nine-point advantage late in the third quarter and went on a safe cushion following a 13-0 start to the fourth quarter.
The sixth and eighth leading scorers across pool play, Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder tallied 16 points apiece, with the former adding seven rebounds and five assists en route to a team-high efficiency rating of 21. Combining for nine triples, Isaac Bonga, Maodo Lo, and Tristan da Silva chipped in 15, 12, and 11 points, respectively.
On the losing end, Portugal stayed in the Latvian capital after a 2-3 record in Group A to complete the journey in the Round of 16. Neemias Queta bowed out with an 18-point, 11-rebound double-double.
“None of the other coaches are happier than I am with my team,” head coach Mario Gomes shared his postgame message to the players.
Moving on to the next round of the knockout stage, Germany will face the winner of Sunday’s meeting between Italy and Slovenia on Wednesday.
Photo Credit: FIBA