The ball was in Franz Wagner's hands as the clock wound down on the EuroBasket final. Germany was leading by five, and Turkiye's last-ditch efforts to get back had run out.
Wagner had the honors of killing out the clock, flinging the ball to the opposite end of the court as time expired, enabling Germany to celebrate a second major international tournament gold medal in four seasons.
Germany was pushed to the limit in the championship game -- a game between the lone undefeated teams in the tournament. They needed every last bit of experience and poise to get there.
In the end the ball was in the hands of the team's captain, Dennis Schroder. He delivered two critical shots, hitting a tough runner of burgeoning Houston Rockets star Alperen Sengun and then burying a free-throw-line jumper to give Germany a three-point lead.
Sengun missed a rushed three on the next possession. Germany closed things out at the foul line for a gutsy 88-83 victory. It was a sign of the togetherness and resilience of this team. They know what they are capable of and how to win.
It truly took everyone on the roster at various points. But all eyes were on Germany's two stars.
Schroder finished the game, but Wagner was key in a championship final to getting Germany its second gold medal in four years.
Wagner cemented his place in the All-Star Five with an 18-point performance, scoring 16 in the first half when Germany was fighting to stay in the game, coming back from an early 11-point deficit. He had his hands on every part of the game, recording to chase-down blocks and adding five rebounds.
And then he seemingly went silent. He scored only two points in the second half, coming on a beautiful cut toward the rim and finish at the basket. He took only two field goal attempts. He was largely uninvolved.
For a player who is expected to be an All-Star and was one of the five best players in this tournament, it was odd to see him uninvolved beyond screening. It is not like Turkiye did anything to take him out of the game.
Like the semifinal against Finland when Wagner scored 20 points in the first half and went quiet in the second, Germany leaned on its captain to take the team home. The team got there and that is plenty of quality championship-level experience.
Wagner gave Germany what it needed to win the tournament. And he clearly still has a lot more to offer.
Will of the champions
Germany is not a championship-level team without Franz Wagner, and the way he continues to grow.
Germany did not begin this run of tournament finals and medals before Wagner joined the national team for the 2022 EuroBasket. They have climbed into contention in every tournament because of Wagner's emergence as a second star who helps everyone's role make sense.
As Orlando Magic fans know, Wagner is not the isolate-and-score kind of star. He scores in bunches and bursts and can work off the ball just as easily. And that is how things went in this championship game.
Wagner carried Germany through the first half. Then Germany turned to Dennis Schroder (16 points and 12 assists) in the second half. Schroder was the one able to get downhill and create opportunities for others.
And they stepped up with Tristan da Silva scoring 13 points and Isaac Bonga 20, including a big dunk late in the game. They got timely shots from everyone on the roster, especially a three-pointer from Daniel Theis with about two minutes to play.
Ultimately a championship is not built on one player's individual brilliance but on how the collection comes together. Everyone playing their role and taking their opportunities when they come.
If Wagner and Germany proved anything during the last two weeks of the tournament, it is that they understood the moment. They understood what the game needed, and every player stepped up when their turn came.
Wagner had a lot of turns throughout the tournament and in this championship game. He put together a scoring burst, spinning and pushing his way past Turkiye's defense throughout the first half. He forced his way to the line.
The ball did not swing to him nearly enough in the second half. That might have been the story if Germany lost. But the group had enough to win the game.
And Wagner played his role when the team needed him.
Franz has must more to do
Franz Wagner turned in another stellar tournament. He earned his way into the All-Star Five. The invisibility of his second half does not take away from his champinship moment.
Wagner finished EuroBasket, averaging 20.8 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. He finished the tournament shooting 46.4 percent from the floor and 11 for 38 from three (28.9 percent). He averaged 7.9 free throw attempts per game.
Wagner was a dynamic offensive threat and a star in the present, no longer in the making. He is sure to turn his success in this tournament into an All-Star-level season for the Orlando Magic.
But there was clearly more for him to do.
His 3-point shooting came in fits and spurts -- he shot 7 for 17 (41.1 percent) in group play, but 4 for 21 (19.0 percent) in the knockout rounds. And there was the story about his aggression in these big moments.
He did not have poor games in the elimination rounds or the semifinal and final by any stretch. But he was not the lead player.
To many, this tournament was meant to represent a passing of the torch from longtime captain Dennis Schroder to Franz Wagner. It is becoming clearer with each tournament that Wagner is ready to take on more and more.
This tournament showed that Wagner has taken on a lot more and can shine in the spotlight. He can be part of a championship team.
But there is still so much more for him to do. There is still so much more for him become.
Wagner is a champion again. He again showed he has what it takes to help a winning team succeed. He is unselfish and for his team at all times, even when they turn to him to finish games -- as he did against Slovenia in the quarterfinal.
There is still another level for him to reach. Another level of basketball and another level of leadership too.
But Sunday was a day to celebrate. Wagner is a champion again. Wagner is an All-Star again. Wagner is on top again.
And there is a lot of reason to be excited about what comes next.