The German wheelchair basketball players hugged each other after their quarter-final victory against Spain. Player Jan Haller, overwhelmed by emotions, burst into tears. “It’s a huge relief for all of us, especially for those like Jan who have been here for a long time,” said teammate Nico Dreimüller after the match on Tuesday. “We’ve narrowly failed so many times, including in the quarter-finals of the last World Cup. Now to be in the semi-finals of such a big tournament and have the chance to advance – that’s just a great feeling.”
After two defeats in the past ParalympicsIn the quarter-finals against Spain, coach Michael Engel’s team made the long-awaited entry into the semi-finals in Paris. With a 57:49 victory in the Bercy Arena, the German men’s team secured a place among the best four teams in the world for the first time since 1992.
After the defeat against Canada the day before, the German wheelchair basketball players had less than twenty hours to prepare for the decisive quarter-final. The pressure was high because the Spaniards, who had already ended the Germans’ medal dreams in the quarter-finals in Rio in 2016 and in Tokyo in 2021, were once again ready to face opponents. “I tried to ignore that, but that didn’t always work,” said Dreimüller.
From the beginning, it was clear that the Germans wanted to start with more determination than against Canada. “We started the game with much more intensity, defended harder and played with much more emotion,” said teammate Thomas Böhme. The team had set itself the goal of improving their basket defense, which had repeatedly tipped the scales in the Spaniards’ favor in recent years. “We managed that today,” said Böhme.
Strong defensively, somewhat bumpy offensively
The match started evenly. Spain initially took the lead through Ignacio Ortega, who wears the number 24 in honor of Kobe Bryant. But the Germans did not let that deter them and quickly fought their way back into the game. Dreimüller and Böhme scored important goals to ensure that Germany always remained within striking distance. The match remained extremely close until the end of the first quarter, with the Germans only trailing by a narrow 12:13.
In the second quarter, the German defense was compact and left the Spaniards little room for their attacks. Germany was able to pull ahead for the first time with a 17:13 lead, even if not everything was going smoothly on offense. This was particularly evident when you saw German player Aliaksandr Halouski, who kept raising his arms in celebration on the bench, only to be disappointed to find that the ball had not quite found its way into the basket.
But the Spaniards fought their way back into the game, equalizing at 19:19 and keeping the game open. Finally, it was Thomas Böhme who put Germany back in the lead with an important three-pointer. The players reacted with clenched fists and visible relief when the halftime whistle sounded with the score at 26:19.
After halftime, the Spaniards came into the game better and quickly reduced the deficit to 25:26. Once again, it was Böhme who kept the Spaniards at bay with a three-pointer. The tension in the arena was palpable, and the shooters on the field were at their best.
Shortly before the end of the third quarter, a real three-point spectacle broke out: First, Böhme hit an important three-pointer to make it 40:36, and just moments later, Halouski increased the lead with another three-pointer. But the Spaniards did not let up – Ignacio Ortega immediately countered with a three-pointer and brought his team to 39:43.
The silver medal followed in Barcelona
In the fourth quarter, the Germans showed their best side. They continually extended their lead. With five minutes to go, the Germans were ahead by ten points – 51:41. The Spaniards, visibly nervous, could no longer find a way to stop the German team.
With the triumph over Spain, the German team has made it to the semifinals for the first time in 32 years. The silver medal followed in Barcelona. With another success in Paris – whether in the semifinals or in the match for third place – the Germans would win a medal. The next opponent will be either Australia or fellow favorites Great Britain, against whom the German team lost clearly 55:76 in the group phase.
“It’s great to be in the semi-finals. We are now one of the best four teams in the world – that’s just overwhelming,” said coach Michael Engel after the victory against Spain. It was also a new experience for him: “I’ve never been in the semi-finals before, so I don’t know exactly how it feels. We’ll just take this hard-earned success with us.”
