Germany beats Serbia in FIBA World Cup final, captures its first title / News - Basketnews.com

Serbia mounted an impressive comeback, but Dennis Schroder hit a clutch layup, and Germany won their first FIBA World Cup title ever.

Credit: FIBA Credit FIBA

Serbia mounted an impressive fourth-quarter comeback, but ultimately it wasn't enough. Dennis Schroder hit a clutch driving layup and led Germany to its first-ever FIBA World Cup title in an 83-77 (23-26, 24-21, 22-10, 14-20) win in the final.

Player of the Game EFF 22 Johannes Voigtmann Points 12 Accuracy 4-5 Rebounds 8 Assists 3

Dennis Schroder finished the game with 28 points on 9-for-17 shooting. Schroder was later named the MVP of the entire 2023 FIBA World Cup. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team.

The game was tight from the very first minute. Even though Serbia was ahead by five near the end of the first quarter (26-21), Germany was already up by one in the second (30-29).

Serbia, however, took no time to get ahead again, and Germany was forced to take a timeout after a Bogdan Bogdanovic stepback triple (42-38). Despite Serbia's run, both teams were tied at halftime (47-47) for only a second time in World Cup history.

With a score tied at 49, Germany went on a 15-4 run in the third quarter and established a solid 11-point advantage (64-53). Germany maintained the lead and headed into the final quarter with a 12-point lead.

When it seemed like Serbia was lost, Aleksa Avramovic took over the game in the fourth quarter. First, he hit multiple layups and then forced an offensive foul. Then, he hit two late-second three-pointers and converted all three free throws after attempting another.

With 1:21 on the clock, the teams were separated by just three points (78-75). Isaac Bonga lost the ball, but Marko Guduric failed to make a wide-open triple from the corner to tie the game.

Dennis Schroder converted only one free throw, and Serbia had a chance with 48 seconds remaining. Down by four (75-79), Guduric made two free throws, and everything came down to the wire.

However, Dennis Schroder drove past Avramovic to make a driving layup with 21 seconds remaining. Guduric turned the ball over, Schroder made two free throws, and Serbia could not come back.

Germany remained undefeated throughout the entire tournament. On the way to the title, they defeated teams like Australia, Slovenia, and Team USA. It is their first FIBA World Cup title ever.

In the last World Cup in 2019, Germany finished just 18th in the final standings.

Besides Schroder, Franz Wagner added 19 points and 7 rebounds to the victory. Meanwhile, Johannes Voigtmann was instrumental in capturing a win.

First, he limited Nikola Milutinov, who was previously one of the most dominant big men in the competition, to just 2 points and 4 rebounds. Voigtmann himself recorded 12 points and 8 rebounds.

On the other side of the court, Aleksa Avramovic led Serbia in scoring with 21 points. Bogdan Bogdanovic added 17 points and 5 assists.

Full game highlights:

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