7-foot-0 Serbia center Nikola Milutinov pumps the air shortly after his team pulled the rug from under Canada, 95-86, on Friday to arrange a final showdown with Germany. (Fox Sports photo courtesy)

By El Ami Go

All roads converged at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, as Germany and Serbia slug it out for the coveted 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup championship on Sunday (10 September 2023).

This climactic showdown is the culmination of a journey filled with astonishing upsets, as both European nations defied expectations to reach this pinnacle in Manila.

This marks Serbia’s second appearance in the final within just three tournaments, while Germany finds itself in its first-ever World Cup final.

The winner of this clash will become the third different nation to claim the title in the last five World Cups, following the shared dominance of the USA and Spain over the previous four editions.

Interestingly, neither Germany nor Serbia, the latter being a landlocked country in Southeast and Central Europe, were initially considered favorites at the tournament’s outset.

Teams like the host nation France, Spain, the United States, and Canada were the frontrunners for the gold medal.

However, France surprisingly exited in the group stage, Spain was defeated by Canada in the second round, and both the USA and Canada stumbled in the semifinals.

Germany’s journey to the final has been particularly impressive, remaining undefeated with a flawless 5-0 record in the initial two rounds and extending that streak through the quarterfinals and semifinals.

NBA players like Dennis Schroder, Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner, and Daniel Theis played pivotal roles in Germany’s success.

Schroder, for instance, not only contributed nine assists in the semifinal victory over the United States but also consistently showcased his scoring and playmaking abilities throughout the tournament. His only subpar performance came in the quarterfinals against Italy.

Franz Wagner stepped up during the final-eight match, delivering 16 crucial points. His well-rounded skills on both ends of the court have proven invaluable to Germany’s campaign. Additionally, contributions from role players like Andreas Obst, who tallied 24 points in the semifinals, have provided Germany with the much-needed consistency.

On the Serbian side, Bogdan Bogdanovic has been the standout player, leading the team with an impressive 23 points in the semifinal win against Canada. His back-to-back 20-point performances in the quarterfinals and semifinals were pivotal to Serbia’s success.

Key to Serbia’s journey to the final has been their staunch defense, limiting high-scoring opponents like Canada to just 86 points and holding Lithuania to a mere 67 points in the quarterfinals.

To secure the title, Serbia must effectively contain the perimeter production of Schroder and Franz Wagner.

Regardless of the outcome, Germany is guaranteed its best-ever World Cup finish, while Serbia is aiming for its first gold medal in its current iteration, having been part of two previous World Cup victories as the former nation of Yugoslavia.

Yugoslavia is the only other team aside from USA to have won five (5) golds in the history of world’s most prestigious gathering of basketball players.

In the cardiac semifinal round on Friday, Serbia defeated Canada (95-86), while Germany survived a tenacious all-NBA Team USA (113-111). Team USA and Canada will battle for the bronze ahead of the Serbia-Germany championship encounter. (AI/MNM)