By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Germany and Croatia began the fourth window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in convincing fashion, securing victories in their opening Second Round games to improve to 6-1 in Group K.
Germany were the first to take the court and recorded a 99-83 victory over the Netherlands. Dennis Schröder led the winners with 23 points, six assists and two steals, shooting a perfect 5-of-5 from two-point range and 7-of-7 from the free-throw line.
Oscar da Silva added 15 points and five rebounds, while Isaac Bonga finished with 13 points. Yannick Franke paced the Netherlands with 24 points, including six three-pointers, while Rienk Mast contributed 17 points and five rebounds.
Croatia followed with an even more dominant performance, beating Latvia 115-80 as Mario Hezonja took center stage. The Cleveland Cavaliers forward scored 28 points on 8-of-13 shooting, converted all eight of his two-point attempts and also handed out seven assists.
Karlo Matković and Luka Božić added 17 points apiece, with Božić missing only one shot from the field and going 9-of-9 from the free-throw line. Rihards Lomažs led Latvia with 23 points, while Artūrs Strautiņš scored 20.
Germany and Croatia now share the best record in Group K at 6-1, with 13 points each. Latvia dropped to 3-4, the Netherlands to 2-5, while Israel entered the window at 2-4.
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