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Crew USA gamers Anthony Edwards and Jaren Jackson Jr react after an important turnover within the semifinal match as Germany advances to the Fiba World Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines — There will likely be no gold medal for Crew USA at this World Cup. And for the second consecutive time in Fiba’s largest match, there may not even be any medal in any respect for the Individuals.
As an alternative, it’s Germany on the cusp of a world title.
Andreas Obst scored 24 factors, Franz Wagner added 22 and Germany shredded the U.S. protection for a lot of the way in which in its first win over the Individuals — 113-111 within the World Cup semifinals on Friday evening.
“This workforce could be very worthy of successful a championship,” U.S. coach Steve Kerr mentioned. “And we simply didn’t get it completed.”
No, it didn’t, and now questions will fly as soon as once more. USA Basketball has been speaking for years about how the continuity of prime worldwide groups has closed what was as soon as a large hole between the Individuals and the remainder of the world. The U.S. has received the final 4 Olympic titles, however now it’s two straight World Cups with no gold for the winningest program on the planet.
“Horrible,” U.S. guard and captain Jalen Brunson mentioned. “Plain and easy.”
WATCH: A surprised Crew USA walks again to the locker room after shedding to Germany within the #FIBAWC semis. | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/hZ7Dvp0cAh
— INQUIRER Sports activities (@INQUIRERSports) September 8, 2023
Germany — the final unbeaten workforce left within the match at 7-0 — will play Serbia on Sunday for the World Cup title. Serbia beat Canada within the first semifinal, attending to its second World Cup ultimate within the final three tournaments; it lost 129-92 to the U.S. within the 2014 championship sport.
Canada will play the U.S. for bronze Sunday.
Obst hit the shot of the evening, a 3-pointer with 1:15 left to place Germany up by 4 and nearly snuff out a last-ditch U.S. rally. Germany led for 30 of the sport’s 40 minutes, the U.S. led for about 4 1/2, and there was little query who was controlling play a lot of the way in which.
“It’s a particular group,” Germany coach Gordie Herbert mentioned after his workforce made the World Cup ultimate for the primary time. “The way in which we performed, the way in which we performed collectively, we caught collectively when issues received powerful and we had gamers who made some big performs. Another to go.”
Germany celebrates advancing to the Fiba World Cup ultimate after beating Crew USA. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
The U.S., down by 10 halfway via the fourth, almost pulled off a comeback, getting inside one level on two separate events within the ultimate minutes. However the Individuals by no means received the lead, and it was the Germans leaping and hugging as time expired.
“We knew the duty at hand, and that was to go win,” U.S. guard Austin Reaves mentioned. “And we didn’t try this.”
Anthony Edwards scored 23 factors for the U.S. (5-2), which received 21 from Reaves, 17 from Mikal Bridges and 15 from Jalen Brunson. The Individuals shot 58% — however let Germany shoot 58% as nicely, and that was the last word undoing.
“Should you quit 113 factors in a 40-minute sport, you’re not going to win a lot of these,” Reaves mentioned.
The earlier excessive for factors allowed by a U.S. males’s workforce within the Olympics or World Cup within the period when NBA gamers may very well be used — going again to 1992 — was 110. And that was earlier on this match, against Lithuania, which additionally was a U.S. loss. That loss didn’t doom the Individuals’ gold-medal hopes. This one did.
“We weren’t ever capable of make them really feel us defensively,” Kerr mentioned.
Germany had been 0-6 towards the Individuals in World Cup or Olympic competitors, normally getting blown out in these video games.
Not this time. As soon as once more, even bringing the one roster crammed with all NBA gamers wasn’t sufficient for the U.S. on the World Cup. The Americans finished seventh on the 2019 World Cup in China; this end — third or fourth — will technically be higher, however nothing aside from gold was going to be passable for USA Basketball.
Daniel Theis had 21 factors for Germany. Theis has scored 21 or extra factors six instances in his NBA profession — and picked Friday for one of many video games of his life.
“Clearly, a historic win for Germany,” Franz Wagner mentioned. “We’ve received yet one more to go.”
A 35-24 third quarter was principally the distinction for Germany, which this time completed the job that it couldn’t pull off when assembly the Individuals in Abu Dhabi for an exhibition earlier this summer time. Germany led that sport by 16 within the second half, then an 18-0 run by the Individuals down the stretch led to a 99-91 U.S. win.
It wanted related heroics this time. They virtually received there. Key phrase: virtually. This time, Germany completed it off. And when it was over, Reaves couldn’t assist however see Schroder — his former teammate with the Los Angeles Lakers — enjoy an enormous second for German basketball.
“Tip your hat to him,” Reaves mentioned. “I understand how particular this second is for him.”
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