Dennis Schroder scored 26 points for Germany in an 89-72 loss to Lithuania in the final game of pool play in the FIBA EuroBasket 2017 tournament. The Hawks point guard led his national team past the opening round for the first time since 2011.
Germany advanced to the single-elimination round of the 24-team tournament by finishing second in Pool B with a 3-2 record. Germany will face France, which finished third in Pool A with a 3-2 record, on Saturday in Istanbul.
In Wednesday’s loss, Schroder was 10 of 17 from the field, including 2 of 5 from 3-point range, with three assists, three steals and two turnovers. Schroder is the second-leading scorer in the tournament with 23.6 points per game. He trails only the Heat’s Goran Dragic, who has averaged 24.4 points per game for Slovenia. In the game, played in Tel Aviv, the Raptors’ Jonas Valanciunas led 4-1 Lithuania with 27 points and 15 rebounds.
Schroder will be joined in the next round of the tournament by new teammate Marco Belinelli. The shooting guard had 15 points, four rebounds, three steals and two assists for Italy in a 71-69 win over Georgia Wednesday. Italy finished third in Pool B with a 3-2 record and will play Pool A’s second-place finisher Finland to start the elimination round
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