Germany's lights out show halts Giannis, Greece to reach Semi-Finals

BERLIN (Germany) - Germany are back in the Semi-Finals at FIBA EuroBasket for the first time since 2005 after another scintillating display saw them defeat the Giannis Antetokounmpo-led Greece 107-96 in emphatic fashion.

The hosts pulled away in the third quarter as their victory sets up a showdown with Spain in a repeat of their memorable last four encounter 17 years ago.

Turning Point: Germany came out firing to establish an early 22-11 cushion, but back came Greece through Giannis Antetokounmpo to take a 61-57 advantage at half-time. However, momentum completely swung back in favor of Germany in the third with a pivotal 20-1 run to take back control and there was no letting up from that point on.

TCL Player of the Game: Dennis Schroder received a standing ovation upon leaving the court due to a second unsportsmanlike foul after another masterful display leading his country. 26 points and 8 assists and setting the tone on both ends of the floor.

Franz Wagner and Andreas Obst both added 19 points, while Daniel Theis posted a double-double of 13 points and 16 rebounds - all vital contributions to help counter the threat of Giannis, who had 31 points, 7 rebounds and 8 assists before an early exit.

Stats Don't Lie: Germany were relentless from beyond the arc; they made eight of their first 10 attempts and would finish with an impressive 17 makes from three-point range at 55 percent accuracy.

Bottom Line: The hosts go marching on. Germany keep their impressive run going with big performances all down the roster and they won't have any doubts about going all the way. Next stop: Spain. The might of The Greek Freak was not enough for Greece as they will be left to rue a missed opportunity to end their medal drought.

They Said:

"Offensively, we were pretty good for 40 minutes. The key was the second half in our defense, we got our transition going. You have to give a lot of credit to the players, coming out of the locker room on a mission. This is unbelievable for German basketball. The way this team, these players have performed on home soil up until now." - Germany coach Gordie Herbert

"It was a really physical game. We did a great job collectively guarding them in the second half and after that we made our run. You really have to enjoy these opportunities and I want to make the most of it." - Franz Wagner, Germany

"Congratulations to Germany, they deserved to win - they were the better team. We were chasing a lot of the time because of the fact that they shot extremely well. We were giving them the confidence right away. The players fought like lions. But that third quarter hurt us a lot, we were not making shots; missing layups, open looks and free throws. We really enjoyed the journey. We wanted to go more, but it didn’t happen this time." - Greece coach Dimitrios Itoudis

"I don't have a lot of words. We are very disappointed. Germany had a very good percentage from the three-point line. They scored 17 three-pointers. They had the home court, and it was very difficult to stop them." - Giannoulis Larentzakis, Greece

FIBA