Germany was on the ropes entering the fourth quarter.
Every time they seemed poised to take a step forward and run away from an energetic Portugal team, Portugal would put together a run to draw closer. Germany could not hit the shots to get separation. They were a gnat that would not go away.
Franz Wagner was scoring around the basket, but also missed his threes. He was mired in foul trouble. That left the door open for Portugal to stay in the game.
There was no whiff of panic, though. Germany could have given in to frustration as they missed 21 consecutive 3-point attempts through the first three quarters. That reliable weapon was not coming through for them. It is the great equalizer, and without it, Germany was seemingly trying to catch up.
This is what championship teams do. They may not have all the pieces working at all times. But they find a way. They adapt to the game and win.
For Orlando Magic fans watching EuroBasket and trying to decipher what the point is and why this tournament matters, beyond getting an early look at key players in Franz Wagner and Tristan da Silva, it is in these knockout games. It is in seeing whether players can face adversity in the biggest pressure situations and come through with the win.
The Magic are trying to climb into contention. They are entering a phase in their development that is all about winning. Results are all that matters.
And the team could use all the pressure experience it can get. If Wagner and da Silva bring anything back home with them, it should be the resolve and composure they showed to put the game away.
Germany blew the game open in the fourth quarter, outscoring Portugal 33-7 to race ahead for an 85-58 win to advance to the quarterfinal. Maodo Lo hit four 3-pointers in the fourth quarter to break a cold spell. Tristan da Silva made three 3-pointers on his way to 11 points in the game as Germany put the finishing touches on the game.
Franz Wagner had 10 of his 16 points in the first half, helping keep Germany mostly in control of the game as he dealt with foul trouble throughout the second half. But Wagner was still a magnet for the defense's attention, and that opened everything up at long last.
By the time the midway point of the quarter arrived, the young and inexperienced Portugal team had its head spinning. Their inexperience was showing while Germany's poise and experience won the game.
In what was the biggest scare of the tournament for Germany, they passed their test with flying colors.
Championship experience matters
Germany is a championship team, having won bronze at EuroBasket in 2022, gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup and fourth place at the 2024 Olympics (a disappointing fourth, at that). Very little will phase them.
But this is still a single-elimination tournament. It takes only one slip-up to derail those dreams. The line between success and failure could be one bad day.
The NBA does not face such a strict tournament. The nature of a seven-game series is that pressure builds with each game. But a single loss does not derail much of anything. Playoff series are about composure and response. There is usually time to turn the tide.
That is not something that can be simulated in a practice. The only way to gain experience in pressure situations is to play through it.
Playing in these international tournaments gives players plenty of high-stakes experience. It puts them under this kind of pressure. It is on them and the team to come through even on their worst day.
This was not that bad of a day. For all the frustration and opportunities left on the board, Germany never wavered. Germany was in the lead for much of the game and just could not get separation.
Germany did not seem to get too frsutrated. They found other ways to score, putting pressure on the backcourt, getting out in transition and attacking the basket.
Germany still needed that last piece to win and get over the top. That is always what it will take. But Germany did not panic when plan A did not work. That is what it will take to win in the spring.
The Orlando Magic need winning experience
The Orlando Magic are undoubtedly entering a new phase of their development.
The trade to acquire Desmond Bane and the amount the team is spending to maintain its stars and core players have pushed the team into contending status.
The Magic are not merely expected to make the playoffs anymore. They need to win in the playoffs, winning a series and advancing deeper into the Playoffs. That is a different kind of pressure.
And while a playoff series is not a single elimination tournament, the difference between winning and losing a series can often turn on one or two players. The margins are still very narrow.
Not everything will go to plan. How a team responds when things go wrong and whether they can succeed is what championship teams can do.
The Magic hav enot yet proven they can do this. That is a big part of this season.
Orlando is hoping it has the tools now to survive a down game from Franz Wagner. Desmond Bane can fill in, or Jalen Suggs can fill in. If the defense has a bad game, they hope the offense can carry more weight. They hope they have enough shooting that poor shooting games become a hurdle to overcome rather than a common occurrence.
In their journey this season, they will face frustrating games like the one Germany saw Saturday. They will face those games in the Playoffs, especially. And they will be judged on how they overcome those challenges.
Germany was able to overcome them to survive and advance against Portugal. But they will need more as they advance through the tournament.