FIBA World Cup Semifinals: Team USA Falls Short Against Germany
With a 113-111 loss to Germany in the semifinals of the knockout rounds on Friday, Team USA’s quest for a gold medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup has ended.
Unfortunately for Steve Kerr and company, they were unable to perform well on the defensive end of the court as Germany had six players score in double figures, with three surpassing the 20-point mark.
The Americans had no trouble scoring the hoop. Due to the defeat, Team USA will now play Canada on Sunday for the bronze medal.
Germany will now compete against Serbia for the chance to capture the gold medal on Sunday thanks to their victory. The Germans started the game strong and maintained their advantage for the majority of the contest.
With the exception of that late-game scare down the stretch, shots were falling and effort was there, and for the majority of the game, they controlled the momentum.
Germany took the victory with 12 offensive rebounds, crushing the USA 25-8 in second-chance points. Yet there were other problems as well. Team USA’s defense as a whole was poor, allowing Germany to shoot 58% from the field and 43% from long range.
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Versatile Offense Stuns American Defenders
Dennis Schroder drove to the rim far too frequently before kicking the ball out to a shooter who was open in the corner or on the wing, and the majority of the time the shot was blocked.
Given that Jaren Jackson Jr., the current Defensive Player of the Year, is in the frontcourt, Daniel Theis shouldn’t have scored 21 points overall.
The absence of Brandon Ingram didn’t help the USA’s size problem, but 7-footer Walker Kessler is on the bench and has fresh legs; see if he can enter the game and make a difference.
You may not have noticed Wagner’s outstanding performance on both sides of the court if you haven’t watched a lot of Orlando Magic basketball over the previous two seasons.
As a dynamic forward who can score at all three levels, he was having an impact as a rookie on the defensive side of the ball.
He hinted at that leap with his effective offensive play against the Americans. Wagner was attacking defenders head-on, whether it was by pulling up for a mid-range shot, attacking the rim off the bounce for a dunk, or making a 3-pointer.
We should expect some thrilling basketball in Orlando with him and Paolo Banchero if this is any indication of what to look for from him with the Magic the following season.
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Source: CBS Sports
