RIGA, Latvia – September 11, 2025
Germany Edges Slovenia in Thrilling EuroBasket Quarterfinal
Germany advances to teh semifinals after a nail-biting 99-91 victory over slovenia, fueled by strong performances from Franz Wagner and Dennis Schröder.
- Luka Dončić led Slovenia with 39 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Germany’s balanced attack.
- Franz Wagner scored 23 points and Dennis Schröder added 20 points and 7 assists for Germany.
- Germany will face Finland in the semifinals on Friday.
Germany is heading to the EuroBasket semifinals after a hard-fought 99-91 win against Slovenia in a thrilling quarterfinal match on Wednesday. The World Cup champions, Germany, will now face Finland.
Despite a stellar 39-point performance from Luka Dončić, Slovenia couldn’t hold off Germany’s late surge. Orlando Magic guard Franz Wagner led germany with 23 points, and captain Dennis Schröder contributed 20 points and 7 assists. Schröder’s clutch 3-pointer in the fourth quarter, wich broke an 88-86 tie, proved to be the decisive play.
The game was a back-and-forth affair.Dončić, who also had 10 rebounds and seven assists, was a force throughout, notching his fifth game of the tournament with at least 30 points. Though, he was assessed a technical foul early on and dealt with foul trouble, picking up his fourth foul early in the third quarter. Slovenia held a 51-45 lead at halftime, with Dončić scoring 22 points in the first half.
Germany’s crucial 12-0 run in the fourth quarter, capped by an Andreas Obst 3-pointer, gave them a 77-74 lead. Slovenia briefly retook the lead 86-85 on a Dončić 3-pointer with just over four minutes remaining, but Germany responded decisively.Wagner was a key contributor from the free-throw line,making 13 of his 14 attempts.
Slovenia’s control seemed solid untill Tristan Da Silva hit a halfcourt 3-pointer at the third-quarter buzzer, narrowing the deficit to four points.
Germany is vying for its second European Championship title, having previously won as host in 1993. The final is scheduled for Sunday in Riga, Latvia, which has hosted all the knockout stage matches.
Finland Secures First Semifinal Berth
Earlier on Wednesday, Finland secured its first-ever EuroBasket semifinal appearance by defeating Georgia 93-79. The Finnish team held off a strong challenge from Georgia to advance.
Mikael Jantunen led Finland with 19 points, while Lauri Markkanen of the Utah jazz added 17 points and six rebounds. “Its been the same group for a long time. It’s a very tight group, like coming back and playing with your friends,” Jantunen said. “That’s the kind of basketball culture in Finland.”
Finland showcased impressive depth, with 44 points coming from the bench compared to Georgia’s four. They built a 20-point lead in the third quarter before Georgia managed to cut the deficit to six points with under eight minutes left in the fourth.
Toronto raptors forward Sandro Mamukelashvili led Georgia with 22 points. Georgia had a historic run in the tournament, reaching the quarterfinals for the first time as an autonomous nation. They previously eliminated Olympic silver medalist France in the round of 16 and defeated defending EuroBasket champion Spain in the group stage.
Finland’s path to the semifinals included an upset victory over Nikola Jokić and serbia. They established an early lead against Georgia,fueled by strong three-point shooting,and had doubled Georgia’s score 30-15 early in the second quarter.
Eighteen-year-old forward Miikka Muurinen, projected as a potential NBA first-round pick in 2027, contributed 7 points off the bench for Finland.
