Austria’s basketball men have also lost their fifth match in qualifying for the 2019 World Cup (Group G). They lost to Germany 63:85 (33:47) on Friday evening in front of a sold out venue in Braunschweig (6,731 spectators). In the first leg in Schwechat at the end of November last year it had set a 49:90 debacle.
“Where we were mentally there, we played well,” said Austria’s NBA Center Jakob Pöltl to APA. “But Germany used it to its full advantage when we weren’t concentrated. And so, in the end, it has been a great defeat.”
In Kapfenberg coach Mike Coffin’s debut as national team head coach, the Austrians were mainly inferior physically. Due to the failures of Rasid Mahalbasic and Jozo Rados, the NBA Center Jakob Pöltl was a real “big man”.
Although the 2.13-metre-high 22-year-old from the Toronto Raptors had committed his second foul after only 3’44”, the Austrians acted strongly at first. No comparison with the bankruptcy seven months ago. After ten minutes it was 22:16 for the hosts. Dennis Schröder, the second “host” after Thomas Klepeisz (Löwen Braunschweig), held at twelve points.
The 24-year-old NBA Guard from the Atlanta Hawks will become the majority shareholder in the club from Lower Saxony next season and thus the “boss” of the Austrian, who had also earned a lot of applause as an opponent during the team presentation.
In the second section, too, there was not much of a class difference between the undefeated leader of Group G and the victorious last. The Austrians equalled the score at 25:25 (14.). Schröder left the court after his third foul (16th).
The DBB selection tightened the reins and was a little more than one minute later with 39:28 for the first time clearly ahead. Pöltl got his third foul (18th). The break was 47:33 for the hosts.
The task for the ÖBV team did not become simpler. But the Coffin troupe fought and shortened once more to 52:47 (27.). But the game was only open again for a short time. The Germans scored three times from a distance until the next quarter rest (61:49). In the final section they remained safe.
The best scorers of the Austrians were Captain Thomas Schreiner with 14, Pöltl with eleven and Enis Murati with ten points. Klepeisz contributed seven points at his “home game”. Germany was led by Schröder (25).
Serbia clearly won the parallel game in Georgia with 87:50 (37:18). This means that Austria could make it to the second round of World Cup qualifying in Tbilisi on Monday if they win by 15 points. “If we control the game, we have a chance,” said Thomas Klepeisz. “We are outsiders again, but we want to take our last chance.”