Germany’s pursuit of another major international title is alive and well. Behind a vintage performance from Dennis Schröder and steady contributions across the roster, the reigning FIBA World Cup champions defeated Finland 98-86 in Friday’s EuroBasket semifinal. The victory sends Germany back to the final for the first time in 20 years, where it will face Türkiye on Sunday in Riga.
Schröder scored 26 points and dished out 12 assists — the most by any player in a EuroBasket semifinal in three decades — while Franz Wagner added 22 points. Tristan Da Silva supplied 13 points off the bench, and Daniel Theis recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
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Germany’s Runs Define The Game
Finland came out sharp, building a 14-6 lead behind Olivier Nkamhoua and Lauri Markkanen. But Germany’s response was swift. An 18-3 surge turned the tide, and they closed the first quarter ahead 30-26 — the highest-scoring opening period in EuroBasket history.
The second quarter began the same way. Germany went on a 16-2 run, stretching its advantage to 46-28, and appeared poised to run away with the game. Finland, however, stayed close enough to keep its large traveling fan base engaged, cutting the deficit to 11 at halftime.
The Wolfpack then delivered their best stretch after intermission. A 13-0 burst in the third quarter pulled them within four, narrowing the margin to 77-73. But that was as close as they would get. Germany tightened its defense to start the fourth, holding Finland to just two points over the first five minutes, then buried three triples in a span of 71 seconds to seal the result.
Afterward, Schröder made it clear that Germany’s ambitions extend beyond simply making the final.
“We didn’t come for silver,” he said. “We already have silver now, but that’s not why we’re here. We’re here for gold. That’s the goal.”
Schröder Steers The Offense
The veteran guard’s ability to control tempo was decisive. He balanced his scoring with playmaking, repeatedly finding Wagner and shooters in rhythm while punishing Finland’s defense when they overcommitted.
“At the end of the day, I just try to do my best to keep the team in check, to make sure that we get a W,” Schröder said. “Everybody in that locker room knows exactly what they have to do to be able to be successful and that’s what we did today. It’s about the team today.”
Asked about his 12 assists, Schröder said it was simply about adapting in the moment.
“I just read the game,” he explained. “I shoot a lot of threes now, I should go to the basket sometimes, but at the end of the day, just run. Put my teammates in position to succeed, Franz in particular, the first five-six minutes in the game, then Andi Obst and all those other guys, too. Just reading the game and trying to make the best decision.”
Dennis Schroder (26 PTS, 12 AST, 5 REB) leads Germany to the Final, as they stay undefeated at #EuroBasket 2025. pic.twitter.com/hSKG562zZT
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 12, 2025
Wagner And Da Silva Add Balance
While Schröder dictated pace, Wagner gave Germany a steady scoring option. Even on a 6-of-18 shooting night, he kept attacking and found ways to contribute.
“Got to stay confident,” Wagner said. “I thought I didn’t take some of the best decisions today. It’s okay. I can always play a little better. We played a solid game, didn’t start with our best rhythm. We got to give Finland a lot of credit, they adjusted a little bit from our first game in the group stage, they made it tough. Hopefully we’ll play a little better in the Final.”
This is the “Wagner” game.
— FIBA EuroBasket (@EuroBasket) September 12, 2025
Franz Wagner drops 20 points at the half for Germany 🇩🇪#EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/fDQyUDyHuL
Wagner also highlighted the spark from Da Silva, who gave Germany momentum off the bench.
“Tristan was big,” Wagner said. “He played a hell of a game. Coming in super ready, he gave us a lot of energy and was a big offensive boost off the bench.”
Da Silva credited Germany’s leaders for putting him in position to succeed.
“I’m just happy that I got to come in, provide some energy off the bench, play the right way and make sure that our team gets rolling,” Da Silva said. “They show the way from the jump, from the first day I was in the training camp, I saw how they lead by example and how vocal they both are. Obviously it makes it easier for us because there is so much attention on these two, most of the scouting report is focused on them, and that kind of opens up the game for the rest of us. They are very unselfish, they wanna play as a team, that’s what makes it super easy to be a part of this group and it makes it fun.”
Finland’s Breakthrough Ends Short
Finland was making its first-ever appearance in a EuroBasket semifinal and showed resilience despite the loss. Nkamhoua scored a personal tournament-high 21 points, while Markkanen added 16 to surpass 500 career EuroBasket points.
“It’s a bummer,” Nkamhoua said. “It sucks and it’s a big game we weren’t able to make it to the gold game but you have to respect your opponents. They were able to play 40 minutes of good basketball and we weren’t. But after tonight and sitting with this loss and learning from it we have one of our country’s biggest games coming up on Sunday.”
Head coach Lassi Tuovi praised Germany’s strength but expressed pride in his team’s effort.
“We saw why they are the best team in the world,” Tuovi said. “We couldn’t handle that defensive effort which gave them the opportunities to play in the open court.”
Finland will play Greece in Sunday’s third-place game for a chance to earn its first-ever EuroBasket medal.
Germany’s Title Ambitions
For Germany, the win marks another milestone in a golden era. Since finishing third at EuroBasket 2022, the team captured the 2023 World Cup and reached the semifinals of the 2024 Olympics. Now, they will play for their second European championship after winning in 1993.
Isaac Bonga said the group’s mindset remains unchanged.
“We are happy but at the same time we know what we are capable of and we came here to win the title,” Bonga said. “This game showed our growth and character. We’ve been in this situation already at the Olympics and we learned from it. Now we want to finish the job.”
Andreas Obst noted the physical test Finland presented.
“Finland are a great fighting team and had some great games in the knockout stage so we knew we would have to be really ready physically,” Obst said. “I think we did it pretty well overall. We had moments where we had to fight them off, but I think we handled it pretty well.”
Johannes Thiemann said Germany will be ready for whichever opponent emerged from the other semifinal.
“We were able to play more Germany basketball but you have to say that Finland like to play fast and allow opponents to do more,” Thiemann said. “So it was good for us to get running a bit more. Türkiye and Greece are both great teams and it’s gonna be a fight. It doesn’t matter [who we face].”
Now Germany knows the opponent: Türkiye. Two unbeaten teams, one final step, and gold on the line. Germany will face Türkiye in the Eurobasket finals on Sunday.