FIBA World Cup: USA loses to Germany in semis; Serbia heads to final with win over Canada
A late comeback by the United States wasn't enough to overcome a big third quarter by Germany as the Americans lost in the FIBA World Cup semifinal, 113-111.
The Germans outscored the U.S. by 11 points in the third quarter, thanks, in part, to big buckets from Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and five 3-pointers from the team. Wagner finished with 22 points.
For a moment, the U.S. had a shot to retake the lead with 95 seconds left in the game. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves scored six points and seven points, respectively, during the run to draw within one point.
But Germany's Andreas Obst hit a 3-pointer and Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schröder nailed a jumper to push the lead back to six. It was a deficit the U.S. couldn't overcome in the final moments. Obst finished with a game-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers.
Germany eliminates USA 🇩🇪
▪️ Franz Wagner: 22 PTS, 5 REB
▪️ Daniel Theis: 21 PTS, 7 REB
▪️ Dennis Schröder: 17 PTS, 9 AST
(via @FIBAWC) pic.twitter.com/2wrOZaYdDQ— Ball Don’t Lie (@Balldontlie) September 8, 2023
Edwards finished with a team-high 23 points and eight rebounds, but made only 2-of-8 shots from behind the arc. Reaves added 21 points.
Both teams held tight for the first half. The Germans led by two points after one quarter, but the Americans rallied to take a one-point led at halftime behind nine points from Edwards and eight from Mikal Bridges.
Germany built a 10-point lead in the third quarter, though, that the U.S. couldn't come back from. That lead rose to as high as 12 midway through the fourth quarter before the Americans' late surge. The U.S. scored with 0.5 seconds left on the clock to cut the lead back to two points, but by then the Germans had already effectively sealed the win.
The U.S. will face its northern rival, Canada, in the third-place game, while Germany will take on Serbia for the World Cup title on Sunday.
Serbia wins after big first half
Bogdan Bogdanović once again led the Serbians in their 95-86 win over Canada. The Atlanta Hawks wing scored a team-high 23 points on 8-of-12 shooting with three 3-pointers. He also added four rebounds, three assists and three steals.
Serbia jumped out to a 23-15 lead in the first quarter and never trailed by more than three points in the game. By halftime, the Serbians led 52-39 and maintained their advantage for the rest of the contest.
The Canadians were led by New York Knicks guard R.J. Barrett, who scored 23 points with three 3-pointers. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points with nine assists, while Houston Rockets guard Dillon Brooks added 16 points.