USA Basketball sets up its much-awaited FIBA World Cup clash with Canada on Sunday, but both teams will vie for bronze instead of gold.
Demonstrating composure throughout a closely contested semifinal, Germany pulled off an upset, defeating USA Basketball 113-111 at Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines on Friday. This dashed the American team’s aspirations of regaining World Cup supremacy. Meanwhile, Germany will square off against Serbia, who secured a 95-86 victory over Canada in the other Friday semifinal, in the quest for gold on Sunday.
Germany won against USA Basketball for the first time since NBA players joined international competitions at the 1992 Olympics.
While USA Basketball had previously been effective in stopping Italy’s offense, they struggled to defend against a German team that had four NBA players: Dennis Schröder, Franz Wagner, Mo Wagner, and Daniel Theis. The biggest challenge for the Americans was trying to stop Andreas Obst, a skilled shooter from Bayern Munich, who scored the most points in the game with 24 and made a crucial three-pointer that helped secure the win.
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USA Basketball Coach Steve Kerr said his team couldn’t effectively pressure Germany on defense. He also regretted their slow start in grabbing rebounds, which allowed Andreas Obst to find his groove.
Kerr explained, “I thought [Obst] was the key to the game, and we had a plan for him. Unfortunately, we couldn’t contain him, and it hurt us.”
At the beginning of the game, the Americans fell behind 7-2 and were down 25-15 in the first quarter. However, they fought back and took the lead by halftime. But in the second half, Germany came back strong, building a big lead in the third quarter and controlling the game with a well-rounded scoring effort.
Germany’s strategy was smart. When USA Basketball focused too much on defending Daniel Theis near the basket, Germany passed the ball to open shooters. Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner consistently found openings to drive past USA Basketball’s perimeter defenders, while Andreas Obst made 6 out of 11 field goals, including 4 out of 8 three-pointers.
Germany, the only team in the tournament that hadn’t lost a game with a record of 7-0, managed to overcome their previous struggles in closing out games. Earlier, they had let a 22-5 lead slip away against USA Basketball on August 20th, and in the quarterfinals, they almost lost a 10-point lead in the last three minutes against Latvia.
However, this time, Germany’s offense didn’t get stuck in isolation plays or rushed decisions in the late game. When Anthony Edwards scored a three-pointer and Austin Reaves made two free throws to narrow Germany’s lead to 108-107 with just 90 seconds remaining, Andreas Obst stepped up with a three-pointer from the right corner to extend the lead to four points. Then, Isaac Bonga blocked Mikal Bridges’ drive in the next American possession, leading to Dennis Schröder’s game-sealing midrange jumper with 40 seconds left.
Germany Coach Gordie Herbert praised Obst, saying, “[Obst] is one of the best shooters in FIBA, and he showcased more than just shooting tonight. He can drive and make plays, creating space for his team. He had a tremendous game.”
USA Basketball, initially seen as strong favorites in the tournament, continued to battle until the final moments. However, their hopes dwindled when Anthony Edwards threw an errant pass out of bounds with 27.2 seconds left, effectively putting an end to their comeback attempt.
In addition to these late-game turnovers, the American team also committed fouls on three-point shooters on multiple occasions, which resulted in the Germans receiving extra points from the free throw line.
Steve Kerr’s first stint as coach will conclude with either a third- or fourth-place finish, representing an improvement from USA Basketball’s seventh-place finish at the 2019 FIBA World Cup but not meeting the program’s expectation of winning gold.
Kerr expressed his pride in the team’s effort, saying, “I couldn’t be prouder of our guys for how hard they played. This team is certainly capable of winning a championship. Unfortunately, we fell short… The landscape of the game has evolved significantly over the past 30 years. These contests are challenging. It’s not like it was in 1992 anymore.”
