NBA forwards, Franz Wagner and Daniel Theis on Friday, powered Germany past Team USA into the final of the 2023 FIBA Men’s World Cup, being co-hosted by the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.
The duo were a handful for the Americans all through the explosive semifinal duel, as Germany triumphed 113-111 in the second semifinal of the FIBA men’s World Cup, to set up an unlikely final against Serbia.
Defeat, means the Americans have been denied Gold at this level for a second consecutive time, and have to recline to the losers final, where they must beat Canada on Sunday, to make sure they are able to finish on the podium, with the Bronze medal.
The USA played a spirited and aggressive game; but came short physically as they were just too small, against the big Germans. Their lack of physicality showed up repeatedly in the semifinal, just as it did against Lithuania last weekend in their previous loss, at the World Cup.
The team was playing for the first time Under Coach Steve Kerr (in the Dream Team era), and its roster includes not a single NBA player, and nobody who had previously played in the Olympics or competed at the FIBA World level.
Meanwhile, Canada, had earlier lost the first semifinal to Serbia, who won by 95-86 dunks in Manila, to return to the FIBA World Cup final, for the first time, in a decade.
Sunday’s final, will also be their second-ever FIBA World Cup final; and it
was the Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanovic that led the way with 23 points, in his sixth straight game.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
has contributed at least 15 points, in each of the five games leasing to the semifinal, and his tally was complemented by Nikola Milutinovic, who added a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds.
Serbia last reached the final in 2014, when they were thumped 129-92 by USA.
Africa had five teams; Angola, Côte d’Ivoire, Egypt, Cape Verdé and South Sudan at the World Cup; but none was able to make the quarterfinals; though a couple of them recorded some eye-catching results, which they would gladly take home.
The Bright Stars of South Sudan, however emerged as the continent’s beat performer, and was rewarded with an automatic ticket to represent Africa at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
