Germany defeats Croatia 96-87 to claim basketball Supercup in Hamburg

Final victory in Hamburg

Germany secured the Supercup title on Saturday with a 96-87 victory over Croatia at the Barclays Arena in Hamburg. The win represents Germany's seventh overall Supercup title and its first tournament victory at the event in five years. A crowd of 9,583 spectators watched the reigning world and European champions claim their third victory over Croatia in three meetings this year. Forward Oscar da Silva led the German scoring with 22 points, while team captain Dennis Schröder directed the offense and added 10 points. Croatia pushed the contest into a tight finish behind NBA center Ivica Zubac of the Indiana Pacers, Mario Hezonja of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Dario Saric.

Tournament progression and coach critique

Germany reached the final after a 115-82 win against the Czech Republic on Friday, in which Johannes Thiemann led the German team with 20 points. Croatia advanced to the final by defeating European runner-up Turkey with a 95-94 score. Despite the lopsided victory over the Czech Republic, German national team head coach Alex Mumbrú expressed dissatisfaction with his players' defensive reaction times.

I am not satisfied with the performance. In the first half we were two or three seconds too late on almost every play, in the second half usually still one second. We need to do that better in the final.

Forward Johannes Thiemann echoed the call for elevated focus ahead of the championship game.

We know that we have to step it up. Even though there is no big tournament this summer, these games are important for us.

Flow of the final game

The final opened evenly, ending in a 24-24 tie after the first quarter as Germany struggled from outside, converting only one of its first 10 three-point attempts. An 8-0 run just before the interval allowed the hosts to establish an 11-point advantage, leading 50-39 at half-time. Croatia reduced the deficit to 52-49 in the third quarter while German center Daniel Theis remained in the locker room due to an injury knock. Germany regained control through crucial scoring from Maodo Lo, rebuilding a nine-point lead at 78-69 before the final quarter. Contributions from Isaac Bonga, Daniel Theis, and Johannes Thiemann helped preserve the lead during the closing minutes.

Roster absences and upcoming schedule

The tournament victory occurred without several key German NBA players on the roster. Head coach Mumbrú operated without Franz Wagner of the Orlando Magic, Moritz Wagner of the Brooklyn Nets, Isaiah Hartenstein of the Oklahoma City Thunder, Ariel Hukporti of the Philadelphia 76ers, and Charlotte Hornets prospects Hannes Steinbach and Christian Anderson. Andreas Obst of Bayern Munich was also unavailable for the tournament. Following international cycles at the 2023 World Cup in the Philippines, the 2024 Paris Olympics, and EuroBasket 2025 in Riga, no title tournament takes place in 2026. Germany now turns to FIBA 2027 World Cup qualifying, hosting the Netherlands in Cologne on Thursday before playing away in Poland three days later.