David Krämer gave an outstanding performance. The German basketball team played a close game in Sweden in the debut of the new head coach Álex Mumbrú. However, it was not enough to secure the victory.
Along with Krämer, Dylan Osetkowski (17) also showed good form for the losing team. Krämer, of the Spanish club CB 1939 Canarias, produced the second best offensive performance in the history of the German national team. Dirk Nowitzki’s 47 points in the previous game surpassed Krämer’s performance.
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The basketball players suffered a loss in the opening game of Mumbrú in Sweden
The return match is scheduled for Monday in Heidelberg. The top three teams from the four group stage will qualify for the 2025 European Championship in Finland, Poland, Cyprus and Latvia. Mumbrú replaced successful coach Gordon Herbert, who joined German champions Bayern Munich.
In front of the Crown Princess of Sweden, Victoria, only the world champion Krämer shined in the first quarter. The 27-year-old scored 16 of the first 18 points for Germany and the hosts were unstoppable. Pivot Tibor Pleiß returns to the national team after more than eight years in the first quarter. At the age of 35, he used to play with Dirk Nowitzki, and now Mumbrú gives him the chance to prove himself again for Germany after a long absence.
However, the comeback was not easy, as the experienced Swedes started well. Without NBA stars Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner, several new players will have to step up, with Pleiß the most experienced player on the court with 105 caps before kickoff. The Scandinavians led 26:18 at the end of the first quarter and quickly took a ten-point lead thanks to a strong offense. Only Krämer was convincing, while his teammates struggled to convert their chances into points.
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In the first competitive match for Germany after their fourth place finish at the Paris Olympics, a good performance was enough to level the score at halftime. On the bank, Mumbrú watched the events closely. At the age of 45, he won almost everything as a player, including the World Championship in 2006, Olympic silver in 2008, and the European Championship in 2009, being part of that golden generation of Spain that dominated for many years. This background should compensate for his lack of teaching experience. The initial focus will be on qualifying for the Euros, where Germany have recorded one win and one loss before their match in Sweden.
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However, the goal is to qualify for next year’s tournament. Mumbrú wants to work with the best team for the first time. After the games against Sweden, he plans to travel to the United States to meet with German NBA professionals in preparation. Unsurprisingly, the cohesion of the new team suffered a little without the stars, as only four German players scored at the end of the third quarter, but the visitors still led 56:55 in the final stage. The game remained dramatic until the end, with Sweden eventually winning.