Wagner leads Germany past Turkey in thrilling EuroBasket final

RIGA, Latvia (AP) — Dennis Schröder simply took over to deliver more gold for Germany.

Schröder had the game’s final six points, Isaac Bonga scored a team-best 20 points and Germany topped Turkey 88-83 on Sunday in the gold medal game at the European championship.

It was Germany’s first EuroBasket title since 1993 and comes two years after the team — largely with the same core — won the World Cup title in 2023.

“We never shy away from the big moments. ... Everybody is so confident,” Schröder said. “Just big-time plays from big-time character people.”

Franz Wagner scored 18 points and Schröder finished with 16 points and 12 assists for Germany, which finished the tournament 9-0. The game had 15 lead changes and 11 ties, with the final lead change coming when Schröder scored on a drive to put Germany up by one with 1:15 left.

He added a jumper with 18.7 seconds remaining and after Turkey’s Alperen Sengun missed a 3-pointer that would have tied it, Schröder sealed gold with a pair of free throws.

“To be a World Cup winner and a European champion, that’s big time,” Schröder said.

Sengun had 28 points for Turkey, which got 23 from Cedi Osman and a 13-point, nine-assist, six-rebound game from Shane Larkin.