FIBA World Cup Sees Germany Upset Team USA, Reach Final

Germany upset Team USA in the FIBA World Cup semifinals as a +10 underdog. The gold medal game is set, and Serbia and Germany will meet in the FIBA World Cup final on Sunday evening in Manila.

The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia shared host country duties at this year’s men’s basketball FIBA World Cup. The final game between Germany (7-0) and Serbia (6-1) will take place at Manila’s Mall of Asia Arena.

Canada (5-2) will meet USA (5-2) in the bronze medal game on Sunday. Serbia defeated Canada in the semifinals and ended their magical run at this year’s FIBA World Cup. Despite a loss in the semifinal, Canada is only one victory away from securing a bronze medal at the FIBA World Cup.

With a final four finish at the FIBA World Cup, USA and Canada both qualified for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Team USA entered the FIBA World Cup as the betting favorite to win the gold medal. At the start of the semifinals, the Americans were -165 odds favorites to win the gold medal. Canada was the second favorite on DraftKings’ futures board at +240 odds. Serbia (+800) and Germany (+900) were heavy underdogs heading into Friday night’s games.

Serbia 95, Canada 86

Red-hot Canada entered the semifinals as a -5 favorite over Serbia, but their epic run in the FIBA World Cup ended with a disappointing nine-point loss.

Bogdan Bogdanovic, a shooting guard from the Atlanta Hawks, led Serbia to a nine-point victory over Canada in the semifinal. Nikola Milutinov and Ognjen Dobric both added 16 points for Serbia in the huge win.

Serbia’s defense shut down Canada’s leading scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Gilgeous-Alexander, an NBA All-Star from the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaged 25 points per game in the FIBA World Cup. But he was held to just 15 points in the loss to Serbia.

R.J. Barrett, a swingman from the New York Knicks, led Canada in scoring with 23 points in a losing effort. Dillon Brooks, a fiery guard with the Houston Rockets, added 16 points for Canada.

Serbia entered the semifinals as the top shooting team in the FIBA World Cup by averaging 55% from the floor. They continued their hot shooting in the semifinals when they knocked down 62% of their shots against Canada. They also shot 45% as a team from 3-point range with nine treys.

Serbia reached the FIBA World Cup Final without Nikola Jokic on the squad. Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP, skipped the FIBA World Cup. He led the Denver Nuggets to an NBA Championship, but made a tough decision to sit out of the FIBA World Cup in order to rest and recuperate after an exhausting run in the NBA Playoffs.

Even without Jokic, the Serbian national team excelled without their top player. Serbia improved to 6-1 without Jokic, and only the undefeated Germans stand between them and a gold medal.

Germany 113, USA 111

Team USA entered the semifinals as a -10 favorite over Germany. The Germans shocked the Americans and won outright, thanks to clutch shooting in the second half.

A trio of Germans scored at least 24 points in the surprise win. Point guard Dennis Schroder from the Los Angeles Lakers led Germany with 26 points. Forward Daniel Theis from the Indiana Pacers added 24 points. Shooting guard Andreas Obst scored 24 points and knocked down a huge 3-pointer to seal a two-point victory.

The Germans jumped out to a 7-2 lead to start the game. The Americans fought back and led 60-59 at halftime. That would be their last lead of the game.

The Americans were plagued by another slow start at the start of the second half. They were outgunned 35-24 by Germany in the third quarter. USA trailed by as many as ten points because of a combination of poor defense and sharpshooting from Germany.

Germany led by as many as 12 points midway through the fourth quarter before guards Anthony Edwards and Austin Reaves sparked a comeback with 3-point shots. They cut the deficit to a single point with 90 seconds remaining, but that’s as close as the Americans would get.

Germany held off a frantic last gasp-effort from Team USA in the final minute. Obst slammed the door on a comeback when Tyrese Haliburton slipped, and Obst hit a wide-open 3-pointer.

Edwards led USA with 26 points in a losing effort, and Mikal Bridges added 22 points. Reaves scored 19 points off the bench, and Josh Hart also added 17 points.

Germany has yet to lose a game, and they improved to 7-0 in this year’s FIBA World Cup.

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