France and Spain will face off in Sunday’s final of EuroBasket 2022 in Berlin.
A reunion of familiar foes. Once again vying to be crowned champions of the continent.
The showdown was set after Friday’s semis in the German capital which saw the hosts succumb to a 96-91 loss to Spain at the close of a compelling fourth quarter duel that saw La Roja rally from behind to belie their relative inexperience with US-born guard Lorenzo Brown scoring 29.
Dennis Schroder had 30 for vanquished Germany.
While earlier, France dished out a 99-54 hammering to Poland behind Guerschon Yabusele’s 22 points.
Spain – Germany
Spain will play their sixth Final in the EuroBasket in the 21st century, while no other team has done it more than three times in that period.
● Spain have now conceded more than 50 points in the first half in each of their last two games, after never conceding that many in any of their previous 83 EuroBasket games in the 21st century. However, they have won their last three games despite being in a losing position at half-time, more than any other team in the EuroBasket 2022
● This was the first time since 2009 that Germany have lost a game at the EuroBasket when leading at half-time (65-70 v France).
● Germany have made 103 3-pointers in this EuroBasket 2022, the most of any team in a single tournament since the start of 1995; they have made more than 10 shots from behind the arc in six of their last seven games.
● Spain have made 100% of their attempted free-throws tonight (14/14); only once before have they ended a EuroBasket game with 100% from the foul line since the start of 1995 (v Great Britain in 2011, 16/16).
● Three of the seven EuroBasket games where Dennis Schroder has scored more than 25 points were against Spain (26 in 2015, 27 in 2017 and today); this was his 11th game with 20+ points and 5+ assists for in the competition, while no other player has done it in 10+ games since 1995.
● Usman Garuba came off the bench and finished with 5 rebounds, 7 assists and 2 blocks, becoming only the second bench player to combine for 5+ rebounds, 5+ assists and 2+ blocks in a EuroBasket game since 2005 – France’s Moustapha Fall also did it in today’s game (10reb, 5ast, 3blk).
● Lorenzo Brown is the first player making more than 20 points and more than 5 assists in multiple EuroBasket games with Spain since 1995.
France – Poland
France will play their 3rd final at the EuroBasket, after 2011 (lost v Spain) and 2013 (won v Lithuania).
● This is the biggest margin of victory for a team in a game in the knockout stages of the EuroBasket since 1987, when Yugoslavia beat… Poland by 47 points in the quarter-finals (128-81).
● France have won by a 41-point margin today, their biggest win at the EuroBasket since 1959 against East Germany (+42, 77-35); on the contrary, this is Poland’s heaviest defeat in the competition since 1997, against Spain (-43, 61-104)
● No Polish player has scored 10 or more points in today’s game. Before today, only one team ended a EuroBasket 2022 game without one of his players reaching the double digits in points: it was… Poland (v Finland in the group stage).
● France have made 10+ 3-pointers in consecutive EuroBasket games (13 v Italy & 15 today) for the first time since 2007, against Germany (10) and Lithuania (11); in fact, their 15 3-pointers made today are their best tally in a EuroBasket game over the last 25 years.
● France have seen eight players scoring at least one 3-pointer today, their first time in a EuroBasket game since 2007 against Lithuania (also 8).
● Guerschon Yabusele’s 22 points today are his best tally in a EuroBasket game; he has made 3+ 3-pointers in each of his last two games (4 today), after never making more than two in his first five games in the competition.
● Moustapha Fall grabbed 10 rebounds today, as many as in his first six EuroBasket games combined; he also became the second French player to combine 10+ rebounds (10) and 5+ assists (5) in a single EuroBasket game over the last 25 years after Nicolas Batum in 2013 against Latvia.
Images: FIBA
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