Oklahoma City has a long history of players testing their skills against the best of the best abroad. This year, two Thunder players will be representing their home countries in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The quadrennial international basketball tournament will be hosted by China, with the finals set for Sept. 15 in Beijing.
Point guard Dennis Schröder (Germany) and Danilo Gallinari (Italy) will be competing in the games, which begin on August 31 with a first round of group play.
Gallinari and the Italians are in Group D which will play in the city of Foshan, in the southeastern province of Guangdong. They’ll be alongside Angola, the Philippines and Serbia, with the schedule set below:
Saturday August 31: Italy vs. Philippines – 6:30 a.m. CT
Monday Sept. 2: Italy vs. Angola – 2:30 a.m. CT
Wednesday Sept. 4: Italy vs. Serbia – 6:30 a.m. CT
Schröder and his German countrymen are in Group G, playing in the city of Shenzhen, a two-hour drive from Gallinari in Foshan and just barely across the Chinese border with Hong Kong. The Germans are alongside the Dominican Republic, France and Jordan in their group, with the following schedule during group play:
Sunday Sept. 1: Germany vs. France – 7:30 a.m.
Tuesday Sept. 3: Germany vs. Dominican Republic – 3:30 a.m.
Thursday Sept. 5: Germany vs. Jordan – 3:30 a.m.
If you’re a night owl or an early riser, all games can be streamed live on ESPN+ (subscription required). Otherwise, check back here at okcthunder.com for continued updates of Schröder and Gallinari’s performances.