Andreas Obst produced a game-high 24 points and six assists, and Franz Wagner added 22 points and five rebounds to lead Germany to a 113-111 victory over the United States to advance to the finals of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
Germany entered the contest winless against the U.S. in six previous meetings at the senior international level and recently fell to the Americans in a friendly on Aug. 20, 99-91. However, it controlled most of the contest on Friday and led for over 30 minutes of game time, despite trailing by one point at halftime.
The Germans outscored the opposition, 35-24, in the third quarter to carry a 10-point lead into the final frame. The Americans, led by Anthony Edwards (23 points), Austin Reaves (21 points) and Mikal Bridges (17 points), cut the deficit to one point with 1 minute, 35 seconds left to play but were unable to get any closer.
Germany will now face Serbia in the final on Sunday (8:40 a.m. EDT).
The outcome of the game was likely decided on the glass. Though Germany only outrebounded the Americans 30-28, the group held a 16-8 advantage on the offensive end. The discrepancy resulted in 25 second-chance points for Germany, compared to just eight points for the U.S.
📺 Germany stun USA in a high-scoring, instant classic to advance to the Final! #FIBAWC x #WinForDeutschland 🇩🇪 pic.twitter.com/YVSF0TBEW8
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) September 8, 2023
USA Basketball, with a roster featuring 12 players in the NBA, was viewed as the front-runner to win the tournament, while Germany, with four players in the NBA, entered with the eighth-highest odds. Germany will play in the gold medal game at the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first since the inception of the tournament in 1950.
The U.S. will play Canada for the bronze medal on Sunday (4:30 a.m. EDT).
Germany and the U.S. previously clinched berths in the 2024 Olympic Games after finishing as the top two teams in the European and Americas regions, respectively.
The tournament helped seven countries qualify for the Games in Paris.
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