Germany and Serbia will face off in the final of the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Sunday, 10 September, and after taking down two North American powerhouses in the semis, both teams are feeling fearless.
“If you’re worried, you don’t belong here,” Moritz Wagner said after Germany’s 113-111 shock win over Team USA on Friday. “You got to play with no fear, you got to play hungry and you got to be aggressive.”
Earlier on Friday, Serbia defeated Canada 95-86 to advance to their second-ever World Cup final.
Germany will be appearling in a global basketball final for the first time.
“This is the biggest win in German basketball history,” Wagner said. “This means a lot and I think everybody understands how much this means for German basketball and German sports culture.”
Germany stunned USA 113-111 to reach the final of the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila on Friday (8 September).
Andreas Obst scored 24 points inside the Mall of Asia Arena as Germany upset the pre-tournament favourites to preserve the last unbeaten record in the tournament and reach their first final in a global basketball competition.
On Sunday, they will face Serbia who defeated Canada in the day’s first semi-final.
It was a superb effort from the German roster with Daniel Theis having 21 points and seven rebounds, Franz Wagner 22 points and five rebounds, and playmaker Dennis Schröder recording 17 points and nine assists.
Anthony Edwards posted 23 points and eight rebounds for the USA with Austin Reaves scoring 21 points, but it was not enough against the physical and free-scoring Germans who led by as much as 12 early in the fourth quarter.
