Germany slays fancied Team USA to reach first-ever WC finals
At A Glance
- The mighty has fallen at the hands of the underdogs.
The mighty has fallen at the hands of the underdogs.

Germany caught the biggest fish in its unbeaten run so far in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, pulling the rug from under the fancied Team USA, 113-111, to advance to its first-ever finals appearance at the Mall of Asia Arena on Friday, Sept. 8.
Andreas Obst and Dennis Schroder delivered the killer blows in the waning seconds to slam the door on the late fightback from the world No. 2 Americans.
Obst exploded for 24 points built on four triples – none bigger than the one he drilled from the corner to douse USA’s rally and give the Germans enough breathing room, 111-107, with 1:14 to go.
Sensing blood in the water, Schroder then followed suit and put on the finishing touches in the stunning upset win, nailing a tough step-back jumper to put the dagger on the heart of the Americans, 113-107, with 40 ticks left.
Schroder bounced back from a dismal outing in the quarterfinals, controlling the pace for his team with 17 points and nine assists.
It was a total team effort for Germany as Franz Wagner contributed 22 points while Daniel Theis chipped in 21 markers and seven rebounds. The two also led the first half assault for the Germans, imposing their size and length against the small ball lineup of Team USA.
Germany showed signs that it can pull off a massive upset when it managed to build an early 25-15 lead in the opening quarter. Every bit of confidence the Germans were getting while proving that they could hold their own against the Americans was even more evident in the second frame when the two teams engaged into a nip-and-tuck affair.
Germany, however, found another gear to its fight and went on a 15-6 spurt to turn a 61-62 deficit into a 76-68 advantage.
The Die Mannschaft managed to keep the Americans at bay for most of the third quarter and the early goings of the final frame before Austin Reaves pumped some life to Team USA, anchoring a 9-0 run to pull his team within three, 103-106.
That, however, only set up the table for Obst and Schroder'S heroics as Germany took down USA for the first time and set up an all-European showdown with Serbia in the finale.
Anthony Edwards paced the Americans with 23 points while Reaves and Bridges chipped in 21 and 17, respectively.