USA loses to Germany in semifinals; Serbia will reach the final with a win over Canada

The U.S.’s late comeback wasn’t enough to overcome a strong third quarter from Germany, as the Americans lost 113-111 in the FIBA ​​World Cup semifinals.

The Germans outscored the U.S. by 11 points in the third quarter, thanks in part to big balls from Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner and the team’s five three-pointers. Wagner finished the game with a game-high 22 points.

For a moment, 95 seconds before the end of the game, the USA had a chance to take back the lead. Minnesota Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards and Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves scored six and seven points, respectively, during the run, putting them within one point.

But Germany’s Andreas Obst hit a three-pointer and Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schröder hit a jump shot to cut the lead back to six – a deficit the U.S. couldn’t overcome in the final moments. Obst finished the game with a game-high 24 points, including four 3-pointers.

Edwards finished the game with a team-high 23 points and eight rebounds, but managed just two of eight shots from behind the arc. Reaves added 21 points of his own.

Both teams held strong in the first half. The Germans led by two points after one quarter, but the Americans rallied and took a one-point lead at halftime behind nine points from Edwards and eight from Mikal Bridges.

However, in the third quarter, Germany built a 10-point lead that the USA couldn’t get out of. That lead grew to as many as 12 midway through the fourth quarter before the Americans later took a lead. The USA scored with 0.5 seconds left, reducing the lead to two points, but by that point the Germans had effectively secured victory.

The U.S. will face northern rival Canada in the third-place game, while Germany will face Serbia for the World Cup title.

Serbia wins after a strong first half

Bogdan Bogdanović once again led the Serbs in their 95-86 win over Canada. The Atlanta Hawks winger scored a team-high 23 points on 8 of 12 shooting with three three-pointers. He also added four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

Serbia took a 23-15 lead in the first quarter and never trailed by more than three points in the game. The Serbs led 52-39 at halftime and maintained their lead for the remainder of the contest.

The Canadians were led by New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett, who scored 23 points with three three-pointers. Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored 15 points with nine assists, while Houston Rockets guard Dillon Brooks added 16 points – three of which came from behind the arc.