Germany have won the FIBA Basketball World Cup for the first time, defeating Serbia 83-77 in front of 12,000 fans on Sunday in Manila.
After picking up the bronze medal at FIBA EuroBasket 2022, it marks the first time Germany have won major event medals in consecutive years.
Undefeated.
FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HISTORY, GERMANY ARE WORLD CHAMPIONS! #FIBAWC x #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/byh5sxYvA3
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 (@FIBAWC) September 10, 2023
Dennis Schroder was spectacular on his way to 28 points and being named tournament MVP, helping Germany to the only undefeated record at the event at 8-0, and making it only the second time his country has finished on the World Cup podium after picking up bronze back in Indianapolis in 2002.
Franz Wagner had 14 of his 19 in the first half for Germany, while Aleksa Avramovic led Serbia with 16 of his 21 in the final period, and Bogdan Bogdanovic finishing with 17 points.
The high scoring first half saw the game tied at 47-a-piece after 20 minutes of run and gun basketball, but after the halftime break, coach Svetislav Pesic had to tune his lineup with his key defender Ognjen Dobric rolling an ankle and not being able to get back into the game.
Germany took full advantage, they could get into their flow of offense, while defensively putting a lot of trust in Johannes Voigtmann to take Nikola Milutinov one-on-one. The trust paid off, Serbia’s offense went cold, Germany opened a 64-53 lead with 2:18 to play in the third to get their cushion.
A late surge from Serbia saw them pull back in the fourth, when Guduric scored to make it 79-77, coach Gordie Herbert gave the ball to his superstar.
Dennis Schroder delivered, hitting the clutch layup to make it 81-77 with 21.4 seconds left in the game and seal the outcome.
Serbia finished second for the second time in last three World Cups, having lost the Final to the United States back in 2014.
Dennis Schroder (Germany), Shai Gilgeous Alexander (Canada), Anthony Edwards (USA), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia) and Luka Doncic (Serbia) made up the tournament’s All-Star Five.
Canada upset USA earlier in the day to take bronze.
1. Germany
2. Serbia
3. Canada
4. USA
5. Latvia
6. Lithuania
7. Slovenia
8. Italy
9. Spain
10. Australia
11. Montenegro
12. Puerto Rico
13. Brazil
14. Dominican Republic
15. Greece
16. Georgia
17. South Sudan
18. France
19. Japan
20. Egypt
21. Finland
22. New Zealand
23. Lebanon
24. Philippines
24. Mexico
26. Angola
27. Code d’Ivoire
28. Cape Verde
29. China
30. Venezuela
31. Iran
32. Jordan
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