FIBA World Cup 2023: Germany shock USA in Manila thriller to reach final
Andreas Obst scored a game-high 24 points to lead Germany to a 113-111 win over the reigning Olympic champions.
Basketball
Germany stunned USA 113-111 to reach the final of the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila on Friday (8 September).
Andreas Obst scored 24 points inside the Mall of Asia Arena as Germany upset the pre-tournament favourites to preserve the last unbeaten record in the tournament and reach their first final in a global basketball competition.
On Sunday, they will face Serbia who defeated Canada in the day's first semi-final.
It was a superb effort from the German roster with Daniel Theis having 21 points and seven rebounds, Franz Wagner 22 points and five rebounds, and playmaker Dennis Schröder recording 17 points and nine assists.
Anthony Edwards posted 23 points and eight rebounds for the USA with Austin Reaves scoring 21 points, but it was not enough against the physical and free-scoring Germans who led by as much as 12 early in the fourth quarter.
Franz Wagner said in the post-match press conference, "This is just a super special group. Obviously a historic win. I can only say about the game... we've got one more to go and I'm super happy we won today.
Coach Gordie Herbert added, "The way we played, the way we played together... we stuck together at different times when things got tough. And we had players who made some huge plays. One more to go. We'll enjoy this a little bit tonight and get ready for Sunday.
"It's a great win but we're not where we want to be yet. This group of players wants to win gold."
USA coach Steve Kerr said, "They got a lot of big strong guys in there on the switches. They did a good job of executing and, on the switch, Schröder's attacking so they put a lot of stress on your defence. Give them credit, they outplayed us."
The USA have never conceded more points in a FIBA World Cup game and last won the competition in 2014. Kerr commented, "The game has been globalised over the last 30 years or so and these games are difficult.
"This is not 1992 anymore. Players are better all over the world, teams are better, and it's not easy to win a World Cup or an Olympic Games."
When asked to assess his team's performance, guard Jalen Brunson replied, "Terrible. Plain and simple."
Germany hustle and shoot their way to stunning upset
Germany made a fast start with the reigning men's Olympic champions struggling to contain Obst and Franz Wagner.
And when Schröder hit his side's fourth three-pointer with 4:30 left in the first quarter, the Germans had a 25-15 lead.
Kerr's men fought back with Reaves connecting from long range near the end of the period to level the scores at 29-29, but it was Germany who took a slender 33-31 advantage into the break.
Mikal Bridges was having an impact in offence and defence, and he followed up a block with a jump shot to put USA ahead for the first time since the opening minute.
But Die Mannschaft - who secured a quota spot at Paris 2024 thanks to their quarter-final victory over Latvia - would not lie down, going on a 9-0 run to lead 52-48 and prompt Kerr to call a time out.
Tyrese Haliburton then started to make his presence felt, hitting a three-pointer seconds after blocking a Schröder effort to put USA back in front. But a Theis rebound and lay-up saw Germany go into half-time just 60-59 down.
Theis picked up where he left off after the break to put the underdogs in front, and Schröder's third three of the night gave Germany an eight-point advantage.
With Obst heating up again, Germany - who frequently found a man open for the long-range shot - took a 94-84 advantage into the final 10 minutes.
That lead was soon 12, and it was not until the last five minutes that the U.S. started to make inroads with back-to-back three-pointers from Reaves and Edwards closing the gap to three.
But a three-pointer from Obst and a jump shot from Schröder gave Germany a six-point margin with 40 seconds to go, and the USA ran out of time to leave them in Sunday's bronze medal playoff with North American neighbours Canada.