MUNICH, Aug. 9 (S&S) — Close to 9,000 rain-soaked Germans and Americans watched the Harlem Globetrotters raise the curtain on their 10-day sweep through West Germany last night by defeating the Boston Whirlwinds, 43-26, in an exhibition under the lights at the open-air Ice Stadium.

Serious basketball went out the window after the Trotters built up a first-quarter lead and then concentrated on amusing the fans with a fancy show of zany play.

In spite of a steady downpour that washed out some of the troupe’s sidelight attractions, Goose Tatum, Marques Haynes and mates staged a dizzy display of dribble and pass setups on the puddled concrete court.

Playing with the Whirlwinds are Tony Lavelli, All America star with Yale season before last, the five Clark brothers and Wally Osterkorn.

Jesse Owens, former U.S. Olympic star, opened the show by describing the Olympic scene in Berlin in 1936.

The Globetrotters will play at Linde Stadium, Nurnberg, tomorrow night and at Harvey Barracks, Kitzingen, Saturday evening. Other EC exhibitions are scheduled at Century Stadium, Stuttgart, Aug. 12; Ice Stadium, Mannheim, Aug. 13; Festhalle, Frankfurt Fairgrounds, Aug. 14-15; Frankfurter Stadium, Wiesbaden, Aug. 16, and Weser Stadium, Bremen, Aug., 19.