Disappointment as D’Tigers fall to second consecutive defeat at Tokyo Olympics

Nigeria’s D’Tigers were on the losing side once again as they took on Germany in their second preliminary round match at the Saitama Super Arena in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, with the game ending 99-92 in favour of the Europeans.

1. After losing their first match against Australia, D’Tigers looked to avoid their mistakes from their defeat to Australia and take their chances against the European side. The first quarter did not go as planned, with the Germans coming out on top 24-21. The Nigerians rallied and levelled the game at halftime after securing a 29-26 win in the second quarter to head into halftime with the scores at 50-50. Both sides remained hard to separate as the third quarter also ended in a 24-24 tie before a disappointing fourth quarter saw the D’Tigers lose by seven points 25-18, ending the game with a 99-92 victory for Germany. D’Tigers star and NBA champion Jordan Nwora showed his class as he was the best player on either side with his contribution of 33 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists for the D’Tigers. It was, however, not enough as the Germans ran out victors on the day.

After their second defeat in two games, D’Tigers must now find a way to win big in their final group B game against Italy on Friday in order to stand a chance of becoming the first African side ever to progress to the quarterfinals of the Olympics.