World Champions hammer GB as EuroBasket dreams fade

Great Britain’s EuroBasket journey hit rock bottom in Tampere as world champions Germany delivered the most emphatic defeat in tournament history this century, crushing Marc Steutel’s side 120-57 in a performance that left players and coaches searching for answers.

The 63-point margin not only marked GB’s fourth consecutive defeat but also entered the record books as the biggest winning margin at EuroBasket since the turn of the millennium, surpassing Yugoslavia’s 55-point victory over Estonia in 2001.

️ “I am a believer in British basketball, as are many people, but we definitely need wholesale improvements across every level of basketball in the U.K.” – GB Head Coach Marc Steutel after today’s heavy loss to Germany at EuroBasket pic.twitter.com/w9klPTjOd3

— Hoopsfix (@Hoopsfix) September 1, 2025

What began with genuine promise – GB matching Germany’s intensity and even leading in spurts during the opening five minutes – quickly unraveled into a nightmare scenario that will haunt British basketball.

The turning point came with 2:42 left in the first quarter when Tristan Da Silva’s thunderous fast-break dunk ignited an 18-1 German run that bridged the first and second periods, transforming a competitive 15-14 deficit into an insurmountable 32-19 hole.

“They played one hell of a game today,” admitted GB’s leading scorer Myles Hesson, who managed 11 points alongside Patrick Whelan. “It’s a bit embarrassing for us. Looking forward, the only thing we can do is work on ourselves and try to get to that level one day eventually.”

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The statistics paint a brutal picture of GB’s offensive struggles. While Germany showcased their championship pedigree with a scorching 61% shooting performance by halftime, Britain could muster just 26% from the field – a figure that became increasingly painful as they relied heavily on three-point attempts, launching 20 of their 42 first-half shots from beyond the arc with minimal success.

Germany’s dominance was comprehensive and ruthless. Da Silva led all scorers with 25 points off the bench, while Franz Wagner orchestrated the destruction with an 18-point, 10-assist double-double in just 18 minutes of action.

Dennis Schröder added 19 points and five assists as Germany’s depth and quality shone through.

The second half offered no respite for GB supporters. A devastating 15-2 German run to open the third quarter pushed the deficit beyond 40 points, and from there it became a question of damage limitation rather than competitive basketball.

The Germans outscored Britain 30-9 in the third period alone, with the contest effectively over as a spectacle.

“I’m exceptionally frustrated and hurt,” said GB head coach Marc Steutel, his disappointment palpable.

“Being realistic, we have to appreciate that we’re playing against the world champions, and it was going to be a mammoth task for any team to beat them, but the way in which the performance panned out was not one anyone in our group probably envisaged or anyone in our group is pleased with.”

The defeat extends GB’s winless streak in EuroBasket competition, with their last victory dating back to 2013 – a sobering statistic that underlines the mountain this group faces in trying to establish Britain as a consistent European force.

Adding to their woes, GB were without guard Tarik Phillip, adding him to the did not dress list alongside big man Gabe Olaseni, who is yet to feature this summer due to injury.

That Montenegro clash now carries enormous significance. With qualification hopes hanging by the thinnest of threads, GB would need a comprehensive victory coupled with other results going their way – specifically Sweden losing to Lithuania – to have any chance of progressing to the next round.

Boxscore.