USA - Germany: summary, score, and stats, 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup
Germany stun USA and make their first ever FIBA final
Germany reach final for first time, outpacing USA
The Germans came out of the starting blocks like a bullet. They set a fast pace and at times the USA had a difficult time keeping up with them. Pulling to an early ten point lead, it seemed as if the Germans had all of the openings, all of the easy shots to make.
The USA found their footing midway through the first quarter and chewed away at that lead, dropping it to nothing by the second quarter and even going ahead briefly at the start of the second half.
Basketball is not a sprint but a marathon, and there were doubts that Germany could maintain their lightning speed throughout. Those doubts were ill founded, however, as the Germans simply raised their game into another gear, always one step ahead of the American attack.
In the waning minutes of the game, it looked as if the USA had found their groove. Germany wobbled and were unkempt through the final three minutes. A 12-point lead dwindled to only one and the ghost of Dubai seemed to be looming on the horizon for the Germans.
But Andreas Obst hoisted the heavy lifting onto his own shoulders, sinking three point shot after three point shot, keeping Germany just ahead of the Americans. He had a fantastic game, perhaps the game of his career, scoring 24 points and hitting 4 from 8 from distance.
Overall, the Germans were that most Germanic of things: efficient.
They played with poise and constraint, making every shot count and hitting 61% from the field. Briefly, German machine looked as if it needed a bit of oil on the wheels, but soon enough they righted themselves.
Most importantly, they made the USA pay for any mistakes made in the game. Rebounds were turned into opposition points and the lead mounted by Germany never seemed to be under any real threat.
They will now go on to face Serbia in the final, the first time that Germany has played in a FIBA final game. The USA will have to console themselves with a battle for third place against Canada.
Goodbye!
Wow! What a game! We hope that you enjoyed it every bit as much as we did. Thank you for joining us here at Diario AS USA and remember to keep up to date with all of the basketball and other sporting news right here. Until next time, goodbye and God bless!
For the USA, now, they must face Canada and battle it out for third place, as Germany goes on to face Serbia in the final
Schroeder says at the end of the game, "I think we earned it!" And he is right. Germany played an outstanding game today.
This will be the first trip by Germany to the final ever, and they definitely fancy their chances against Serbia.
Germany scoring
Andreas Obst 24
Franz Wagner 22
Daniel Theis 21
Dennis Schroder 17
Johannes Thiemann 10
Moritz Wagner 10
Johannes Voigtmann 6
Isaac Bonga 3
USA scoring
Anthony Edwards 23
Austin Reaves 21
Mikal Bridges 17
Jalen Brunson 15
Josh Hart 9
Jaren Jackson Jr. 8
Tyrese Haliburton 7
Paolo Banchero 6
Bobby Portis 5
The telling stat is the second chance shots. While both teams had great opportunities in the paint, the Germans had 26 points to the USA's 8 on rebounds.
So many expected the USA to take it all in Manila, but Germany have made a statement here.
What a game! Germany stayed on the gas from start to finish.
There is the throwin, and the buzzer. Germany have done it! They have stunned the USA and make it to the final for the first time ever!
TImeout is called
The USA has the ball but need a miracle to make a shot in just 0.5 seconds
The USA is well and truly on the ropes here. Germany have possession and the USA need to foul them to get that turnover.
Reaves misses a three, Banchero misses the rebound, but Reaves makes it to make it 111-113 with just a half a second on the clock!
The USA throws the ball out of bounds! They give the ball back to Germany. They were trying to work the ball around the key to Jackson and lost it.
Isaak Bonga is called for a foul, his fifth, and has now fouled out of the game.
Schroeder hits two and the USA are down by four 109-113 with only 33 seconds left!
Obst sinks another three, to stretch the German lead to four. That may be the shot that gets Germany to the final!
The drama is palpable!
Reaves is fouled and sinks both shots, drawing the USA to within a point. It is 107-108 now with just over a minute left.
Germany try to take it up the other end and miss another easy layup. There is something untidy about Germany right now.
Schroeder goes for a three and it is an air ball. Anthony Edwards runs up the other end and tries to tie the game with a three. He misses it and Wagner is fouled as he comes down with it.
Reaves pulls up for a short jump shot, keeping the USA within three
Schroeder takes the ball in and tries to slow the pace. He goes to the rim and sinks the layup.
Germany call a timeout and try to get their house in order.
Germany look undone at the moment, uncharacteristically missing an easy layup. Anthony Edwards takes over and hits another three! 103-106 and just like that the tide has turned!
Edwards misses the first free throw of the night for the USA. He sinks the second one and the USA draws to within six. 100-106
Edwards charges the paint and goes for the dunk, drawing the foul from Theis!
Reaves responds to the clarion call with a three. Cometh the hour cometh the man!
With five minutes to go in the game, the USA needs to get some kind of run together. They have done it before, with the last meeting of these two teams in Dubai seeing the USA overcome a 16-point deficit to win the game. In that case, you could see Germany fade in the late going. Here, they are showing no signs of fatigue at all.
Timeout called with 4:42 left and this may be the most important one of the game for the USA. They trail now by ten, 96-106 and need to find a spark.
Jackson gives up a silly foul, slapping the board on a shot that had no chance of going in. He makes up for it with a nice move up the other end to put the ball into the hoop.
Schroeder takes it to the rim and finds a way through a crazy amount of traffic to lay the shot up. Germany now up 92-100
Brunson draws the foul and sinks both shots. The USA is now 20 for 20 from the line.
4th Quarter
Wagner lays it up to stretch their lead to 12. Briefly, ever so briefly, as Brunson takes it to the rim with authority.
Obst posts up for a three and Brunson fouls him. I guess if the USA can't stop him, they need to put some pressure on him. He sinks two and misses the third. So it pays off for the USA in a weird way.
Timeout called and Germany is up by ten points. 84-94 and they are simply cruising right now. The Germans are finding easy opportunities, with the USA struggling to get the openings, clawing their way back.
Offensive foul called now on Austin Reaves. In the words of the Spanish ref, "When you lead with the shoulder, it is always an offensive foul."
Moritz Wagner sinks a three and stretches Germany back to a ten point lead, equalling their biggest lead of the game.
Brunson draws the foul and sinks both shots, maintaining USA's perfection from the line. 82-89 Germany
Obst sinks another three, and that is his second in two attacks. He is on fire for Germany.
Banchero drives to the paint and puts it out to the corner for Portis who sinks the three. 80-86 Germany
Missed shots at both ends see Halliburton go in strong and draw the foul. The USA is 14 for 14 from the line and Halliburton will try to extend that. Their success at the line is what is keeping this game close.
Halliburton sinks both.
Bonga acquits himself directly with a jump shot for two
Banchero drives on the goal and draws the foul from Bonga. He sinks both shots to draw the USA to 75-79
The Spanish referee agrees, there is nothing there. It is just a physical game and things happen.
Hart drives to the basket for the layup and in the melée, Theis is poked in the eye. They are reviewing it but it looks incidental.
Halliburton now called for a foul as he bit on the pump fake. He was off his feet so it is three shots. Wagner sinks the first two.
Germany's biggest lead in the game was ten in the first period, but they are now threatening to stretch it to that again, as Wagner sinks another one and they are up by eight.
Josh Hart cuts into that with a beautiful three for the USA. That is what they need to start doing to close this gap. USA trail now 71-76
The Germans are not having any trouble with the pace so far, as they stretch their lead to 64-70
After pulling down the rebound on a missed USA shot, Daniel Theis sinks another one. He is having a great game!
Another missed shot from USA and Franz Wagner comes down with it, flying down the court to sink two of his own. Germany now lead by six! Timeout USA
Theis stays strong in the paint for Germany and gets another two, keeping Germany one step ahead of the USA at 64-66
Franz Wagner immediately responds with a nonchalant baseline three. He is so smooth, so collected. Amazing.
3rd Quarter
We get going and Germany, as usual, are straight to the rim, sinking two. Up the othe end and they give up a foul on Halliburton. He sinks them both and the USA is now 10 for 10 from the foul line.
Anthony Edwards and Mikal Bridges are leading the USA scoring with 15 points each, while Germany's charge is being led by Franz Wagner with 14 and Daniel Theis with 13. There is a little more even spread amongst the German players, but the USA is piling it on right now.
You have to wonder if Germany can go up a gear, because we know that the USA has another level within them. Will they pull away from Germany?
Germany has the ball, looking for the last shot and they close the gap to one as the half ends. 60-59 USA at half time. What a first half of basketball! That was an offensive shootout!
A fast break sees Voigtmann foul Jackson who sinks his two free throws. Germany come straight back and sink a three pointer, and they are on fire. The USA comes back and makes another jump shot by Edwards, chewing away at that lead. A rebound on a missed shot up the German end and Halliburton drops three on them, retaking the lead for the USA 60-57
** Don't you go leaving me during such an exciting game, but if you want some images to complement my words remember that your streaming options include FuboTV. **
Pau Gasol and Sue Bird are spotted in the stands, as FIBA ambassadors they are involved in spreading the game internationally.
The question is perhaps rhetorical, as the Germans storm out of the timeout and reclaim the lead, stretching it to four points, going up 48-52 in two quick minutes.
Timeout is called and Germany is looking tired. This first half has been played at lightning pace, but the question is whether or not Germany can keep up with the USA at this speed as the game wears on.
Brunson sinks the jump shot to extend that lead to 45-41, the biggest lead that the USA has had so far.
Either end of the court once again and the USA goes up 43-41, the first time that they have bee up in the game.
At 39-39, Edwards goes in for the layup and Thiemann is charged to the floor. Edwards is called for it and the Germans want a bit more than the penalty for the elbow to the face. Referee Antonio Conte dismisses this, saying that the elbow was not purposefully thrown.
Moritz Wagner has to leave the game with a cut after diving for a loose ball.
Reaves seems to have found his range here at the start of the second, sinking a beautiful three, nothing but net!
2nd Quarter
The first quarter was a dramatic, high-scoring contest, with Germany at one point up by ten. The fact that the USA was able to come back from that so quickly says a lot about this team.
End of 1st Quarter
Austin Reaves misses a three-pointer as the buzzer sounds to end the first quarter. Germany is up by two in an exciting back and forth contest, 31-33.
A quick two either end and Wagner drives on the basket drawing a foul from Halliburton. That is his second and he needs to be careful now.
Wagner sinks both shots and the score is 33-31 to Germany.
The USA has gone on a stunning run here in the last two minutes, levelling the score as the first period draws to a close. 29-29 with only 53 seconds left.
Germany respond by bringing on Wagner, Thiemann, and Bonga.
Halliburton, Reaves, and Banchero are now on the court for USA and they make an immediate impact. Halliburton to Banchero for two.
The USA gets the ball back and work it around to Edwards who sinks a three. After rebounding the Germany miss, they get it back to Edwards who goes inside and gets the layup. Five points for that young man really quickly. 20-25 now for Germany
Schroeder is called for the foul on Bridges and the USA claws three back. Germany responds immediately with a fast break and post another quick two before getting the ball and striking from three. Germany have posted 11 points on the USA in less than a minute!
Brunson gets called for the foul and hand Obst another three.
Timeout is called and Germany are on a healthy 14-9 lead in the early going. Obst has 6 of those and Wagner 4. They are tearing it up right now. The USA will need to find an answer for that penetration in the lane.
Wagner is called for a foul with the USA down 2-7 here in the early going. Bridges puts it in for two before giving up a foul on the other end. Wagner makes the layup and then Germany misses the free throw.
Germany replies with a three. Nothing but net from Andreas Obst.
1st quarter
The big men are in the center. The ball goes up and the USA comes down with it. Anthony Edwards pushes in on the baseline for a reverse layup and the first two points are on the board.
Tip Off
We are ready to go and the teams are on the court. The countdown is on...
Want to watch the game as well as follow along with me here? Don't worry, I forgive you! Our man on the ground in Miami Andy Restrepo gives you the lowdown on how you can tune in here.
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After coming in seventh place in the last World Cup, Team USA has lived up to the hype this year, sweeping through all competition and topping Italy in the quarterfinals. Defending champions Spain had a shock exit in round two and even the USA dropped a game to Lithuania. But the quality of the squad that Team USA has with them has seen them through in Manila.
Our very own Reem Abdalazem casts her steely gaze over the lineup for Team USA here.
With a trip to the semi finals to face Germany in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, Team USA are showing why they are many peoples favourites to lift the trophy, and in doing so would overtake the former Yugoslavia as the national team with the most victories in the international tournament.
Our own Paul Reidy takes a look at Team USA's coaching staff here.
Welcome!
Welcome to Diario AS USA’s live coverage of the semi final match between team USA and Germany here in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup!
Team USA are coming off of a 100-63 thrashing of Italy in the quarter-finals that has solidified their place as the favorites today. It wasn't all plain sailing, however, with an early loss to Lithuania threatening to knock the wheels off of their train toward the championship.
They opened their campaign with a 99-72 win over New Zealand's Tall Blacks before sweeping Greece's legs out from under them 109-81. A lopsided 110-62 win over Jordan got their hopes up before an old fashioned brawl with Montenegro came out 85-73 in the USA's favor. A shocking 110-104 loss to Lithuania threatened to undo the USA's good work before they regrouped for Italy.
Germany on the other hand, have had a smooth ride so far, and are the last unbeaten team left in the tournament. A tight contest with Latvia saw Germany squeeze through 81-79 to now face the USA in what is only their second ever semi final's appearance.
Today's winner will progress through to the FIBA World Cup final on Sunday, September 10, in Manila's Mall of Asia Arena, where they will face Serbia, who dispatched Canada 95-86 in the other bracket.