The United States will not be clinching a gold medal at this World Cup. For the second consecutive time in FIBA's most prestigious tournament, the American team may not even secure a medal. Instead, it's Germany that finds itself on the brink of a world title.
Andreas Obst tallied an impressive 24 points, while Franz Wagner contributed 22, and Germany consistently penetrated the U.S. defense in its inaugural victory over the Americans, concluding with a score of 113-111 in the World Cup semi-finals held on Friday night.
The U.S. squad, trailing by 10 points midway through the fourth quarter, staged a remarkable comeback, narrowing the gap to just one point on two separate occasions in the final minutes. However, the Americans failed to take the lead, resulting in jubilation and embraces among the German players as time expired.
Germany, the sole remaining undefeated team in the tournament with a record of 7-0, is set to face Serbia for the World Cup championship on Sunday at 8:40 a.m. Eastern time. In the first semi-final, Serbia defeated Canada, securing their second World Cup final appearance in the last three tournaments. In the 2014 championship game, they were defeated by the U.S. with a score of 129-92.
Canada and the U.S. will compete for the bronze medal on Sunday at 4:40 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
Anthony Edwards led the U.S. with 23 points (their record stands at 5-2), with Austin Reaves contributing 21, Mikal Bridges with 17, and Jalen Brunson adding 15. Both teams displayed a shooting percentage of 58%, which ultimately determined the outcome.
Historically, Germany had been winless against the United States in World Cup or Olympic competition, often experiencing substantial defeats in those encounters.
However, this time was different. Even having a roster exclusively composed of NBA players was insufficient for the U.S. in the World Cup once again. While this third or fourth-place finish technically surpasses their seventh-place finish in the 2019 World Cup in China, it falls short of the gold standard expected by USA Basketball.
The pivotal moment for Germany came in the third quarter when they outscored the U.S. 35-24. This time, Germany successfully completed what they couldn't manage when they faced the U.S. in an exhibition match earlier in the summer in Abu Dhabi. In that game, Germany held a 16-point lead in the second half, but a remarkable 18-0 run by the U.S. towards the end resulted in a 99-91 victory for the Americans.
This time, Germany secured the win without any late-game heroics from the U.S. The key word: "almost."