Everything that seemed so easy for Germany against France on Friday was difficult in the first quarter of Monday's quarterfinal against Greece. Only this time, there was no safety net from group play. This is single elimination and every game matters.
With Giannis Antetokounmpo bearing down on them and the ball not moving the way Germany knows it can, they found themselves down 10 quickly. It was an uphill climb just to tie the game at the half.
A less experienced team with young players might have folded. It might have been a time for panic. This is where teams make added mistakes that compound and grow a deficit.
This Germany team though has been through the battles. They started this Olympic journey two summers ago with a third-place finish at Eurobasket, following it up with a championship in the World Cup last summer.
That togetherness, that chemistry, and that experience taught them how to manage and go through these tough times.
If you looked at the faces of any of the German players—particularly Orlando Magic forwards Franz Wagner and Moritz Wagner—you saw a team that knew there was plenty of basketball left to play. You saw a team that understood panic was not going to get them back in the game.
Even on a bad day, Germany proved too difficult to defeat, gutting out a 76-63 victory over Greece to advance to the semifinals.
And that might be the point. That is why the Magic would always encourage their players to play for their national team. It is why it is important to get these reps in elimination games and pressure games.
For a Magic team that is short on experience, every bit of pressure-packed experience matters. And sometimes it is not pretty—as much of Tuesday's game was. But being able to get through those tough games with an even keel and still come out on top is an important skill.
Especially for a young team still learning to win for the first time.
Germany has two tournaments worth of success to draw from—not to mention the Wagners helping lead the Magic to the playoffs last year. They put that know-how and experience to work to stay in the game, stay level-headed and advance to the country's first Olympic semifinals, guaranteeing they will play for at least a bronze medal.
Germany has won before. The Wagners have won before. An they were not going to let a frustrating afternoon get in their way.
It is why Moritz Wagner—who finished with a solid eight points and five rebounds while liberally using his fouls—could hit Giannis Antetokounmpo with a "too small" while down eight early in the second quarter. That shot was no different than the one he might hit when Germany retook the lead.
He was not going to change his personality just because the team was down. There was still a fight to be had.
Franz Wagner did not back down from the challenge against Greece
It is why despite a frustrating showing, Franz Wagner remained calm and patient on his way to a team-high 18 points even as he continued to struggle to shoot from three (8 for 17 overall and 1 for 6 from three).
Wagner kept attacking, able to find his way into the paint and hit the runners and flip shots that make him so hard to defend.
It was a slow trickle for Germany and hardly the impressive showing they had as they went unbeaten in group play. But the struggle reveals beauty too. It forced them to figure things out and forced them to find a way.
Franz Wagner did not have a perfect game. This was not the breakout performance he had Friday—there was only one highlight-reel dunk on a breakaway in the second quarter that seemingly broke the seal on Germany's malaise.
Everyone is concerned about his 3-point shooting. Greece did a good job crowding the paint and bringing late doubles when he slowed down to survey the defense. Greece made him think through things.
But Wagner still provided a steady drumbeat of scoring. He was still the only player able to get downhill and force the defense to collapse. And he still made a positive impact for his team even if his shot was not falling.
He found a way to make sure Germany stayed in the game and eventually pulled away. Misses did not keep him from continuing to attack and doing what his team needs him to do.
All of that expereince will matter so much for the Magic. It is the one thing he had to improve after an up-and-down playoff series that saw him score 34 points in a Game 4 win, only to have his game-tying layup blocked at the end of Game 5, to then score 26 points in a Game 6 must-win situation only then to have his infamous 1-for-15 showing in Game 7.
Just like for the Magic, Germany needs Wagner to find a way to score even on his bad days when the defense seemingly has things figured out against him. That was something he clearly still had to grow and develop after his showing in Game 7.
Wagner will probably never have as bad a day as the one he had in Cleveland in May. But he still has a lot to prove. After all, in the playoffs his numbers went down to 18.9 points per game and 40.8 percent shooting (26.5 percent from three). Wagner has to show he can step up.
There is no better place to do that than in pressure games like in the Olympics. He would not be getting that kind of experience playing pick-up or pro-ams. That is why the Olympics and the national team are so important to his development.
Wagner is still a 22-year-old and every experience is important. And nothing replaces pressure-packed, elimination games like this one.
Tuesday's game showed a bit of how much he has grown from that day in May. This was not an easy game for anyone. But it was still one Germany had to win.
That they exuded championship calm and composure to get the win is a testament to their experience and continuity together. It is a testament to the experience they have gained together.
It is a statement of how much they have grown.
Especially Wagner. And this is the kind of experience the Magic need their young players to get. Something the Olympics is providing.