Croatia was just three minutes away from beating world and European champions Germany twice in three days. That caused frustration, but also pride.
“We played a really good game here,” said guard Rodo Badzim, who caused Germany problems with four three-pointers. “We deserved to win, but that’s sport. We have to put it behind us,” said former Bayern center Danko Brankovic.
Croatia led by up to 15 points in Bonn in the third quarter and were still ten points ahead with 3:30 minutes to go, before the world and European champions forced overtime with a 10-0 run. “We’ll regret this because we controlled the game,” said coach Tomislav Mijatovic, clearly annoyed.
However, the coach did not want to overemphasize the fact that Germany was missing many players. “This is a team that has experience and many winners. That’s why I still take my hat off to my team.” With the buzzer in the fourth quarter, Mario Hezonja almost secured the victory, but his desperate shot from the center line danced on the rim and fell out again.
Croatia confident in World Cup qualification
At least the Croatians won the head-to-head comparison, which could still play a role in the final standings. “In the end, we were exhausted and the Germans had more energy than us,” said Badzim. “We didn’t play badly here, and with Cyprus and Israel still to come, we have two opponents where we can still achieve something.”
Among other things, Croatia conceded 26 points after offensive rebounds, and the visitors went more than 6:30 minutes without a single field goal in the final phase. Nevertheless, the Croatians remain at the top of the table and are therefore in a good position for the upcoming qualifying games. All results from the first round will be carried over before the top three teams from the newly formed group of six qualify for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.