September 08, (THEWILL) – In a major upset, Germany shocked the much-fancied United States 113-111 in a thrilling knockout match on Friday to reach FIBA Basketball World Cup championship game against fellow European powerhouse Serbia.
Guard Andreas Obst carried Germany, who have four NBA players in their roster, with 24 points and six assists, including a clutch 3-pointer late in the game. Franz Wagner added 22 points while power forward Daniel Theis, who plays for the Indiana Pacers, contributed 21 points.
Obst’s step back 3-pointer and Dennis Schroder’s jump shot gave the Germans a comfortable six point lead with just 40 seconds left on the clock, despite a fightback by Team USA. The Germans took advantage of the Americans’ traditionally slow start to take a 25-15 lead at the end of the first quarter. Team USA, composed of NBA players, recovered to engage in a back-and-forth battle with the Germans, taking a slim 60-59 lead into halftime.
Germany controlled the third quarter, taking a 94-84 lead into the final quarter courtesy of Schroder’s pullup jumper. Wagner’s layup nine minutes from the end padded the advantage to as much as 12 points.
In the earlier semifinal, Serbia defeated Canada 95-86 to book their place in the final. Five Serbian players scored in double-digits, led by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 23 points. Their stifling defense limited Canada to just 15 points in the first quarter.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
