Dennis Schröder Shines! German NBA Star Leads DBB Team to Victory in World Cup Qualifiers

Just over nine months after their European Championship triumph in Riga, the German basketball players have successfully completed their task against Israel in the city of their return, boosting their points tally on the road to the World Cup.

Led by captain Dennis Schröder, head coach Álex Mumbrú's team won the qualification game in the Latvian capital, where the opponent had relocated due to the security situation at home, with a score of 92:86 (45:37). This marks their fourth victory in the fifth game of the first group stage. The world and European champions had already secured their ticket to the second round prior to this match.

Nevertheless, the success was important, as all results are carried over. In the next qualification phase, the DBB selection will face Poland starting from the end of August. The Netherlands, Latvia, and Austria will compete for the remaining two spots in a parallel group. The top three teams from the new six-team group will advance to the World Cup in Qatar (August 27 to September 12, 2027).

For Mumbrú, the victory was "super important." He described it as a "tough game" due to the limited number of spectators in the arena. Despite this, he stated that his team played "good basketball" for 35 minutes, admitting that "in the last five minutes, we gave Israel a few options."

"We want to win both games," Schröder had said with regard to the matches against Israel and the final game on Monday in Bamberg against Cyprus. The first part of his plan was accomplished. Schröder was the top German scorer with 20 points, while Christian Sengfelder (16) and Kay Bruhnke (15) also reached double-digit scoring. The German team had comfortably won the first leg in Ulm in late November (89:69).

In the current international break window, Schröder is not only the sole world champion but also the only NBA professional nominated by Mumbrú for his squad. "Some are injured, some are without a contract. Some are super tired because they have played more than 80 games," the Spaniard explained his player selection. Consequently, the Wagner brothers Franz and Moritz, Tristan da Silva, and Isaiah Hartenstein are among those absent. A strong contingent from Bayern, including Andreas Obst, is also unavailable.

DBB Team with a Dream Start, Followed by Many Errors

In Riga, where the DBB team defeated Turkey in the European Championship final on September 14, 2025, they made a dream start. The German team, featuring European champions Schröder and Leon Kratzer, led 10:0 after just over 80 seconds. However, the visiting team, not yet cohesive in this configuration, subsequently made numerous errors. As a result, three newcomers – Sananda Fru, Simonas Lukosius, and Michael Rataj – were given playing time. After four consecutive successful three-pointers, three of which were sunk by Sengfelder, they held a small lead at halftime.

In a strong third quarter (31:18), Schröder and his teammates made a decisive breakaway, partly due to the team committing fewer turnovers. Tim Schneider extended the lead to 20 points for the first time (71:51/28th minute). In the closing stages, despite a few runs from Israel, they could not generate real tension.

Against Cyprus, who no longer have a chance to advance, a mandatory win is expected on Monday. There is still a slim chance of finishing first in the group if Croatia, who handed the DBB team their only defeat to date in Zagreb at the end of February, unexpectedly loses at home to Israel. However, the points are more important.