The German basketball players beat the USA in the semi-finals of the World Cup and thus reached the final of a World Cup for the first time – their opponent is Serbia.
The German team won in Manila in the Philippines with 113:111 (33:31, 26:29, 35:24, 19:27) and thus scored in the World Cup final in Manila on Sunday (2.40 p.m., live on ZDF). on Serbia, which won its semifinal against Canada 95:86.
Obst: “We knew: you have weaknesses”
“We fought until the end. It’s just awesome”said Franz Wagner at MagentaSport. “Everyone who’s here wants to get the most out of it.” That’s why “It doesn’t matter who scores the most points here. In the end we deserved to win.” Top scorer Andreas Obst was “A bit speechless. We knew: You have weaknesses. We took advantage of that.”
Led by the outstanding Franz Wagner (22 points) and an almost unstoppable Andreas Obst (24 points), Germany defied the NBA stars. It was the national team’s biggest victory since the European Championship triumph in 1993. Center Daniel Theis (21 points) also made a significant contribution to the highlight of German basketball history.
A strong third quarter ensures a place in the final
Germany came into the eagerly awaited semi-finals with a flawless record of six wins. Even the USA (104:110 against Lithuania) had already lost a game. In a long, close game, the German team led by two points after the first quarter. At halftime, Germany was behind 59:60. Germany moved the ball a lot and got many high-percentage shots. 25 points in the first five minutes were evidence of the outstanding offense.
Germany laid the foundation for victory in the third quarter when the team won the game 35:24. In the final quarter, the lead almost melted away, but the German team defended their lead with an outstanding performance and reached the final on Sunday.
USA in the small final against Canada
Also on Sunday at 10:30 a.m., the USA will play against Canada in the game for third place. For the top favorite, this is at best a consolation prize. The targeted sixth world championship title after 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014 will have to wait at least until the tournament in Qatar in 2027.