© AP
Germany was crowned basketball world champion in Pasay, Philippines, on Sunday. The German men beat Serbia in the final with 83-77 figures (halftime: 47-47).
Bron: BELGIAN
Dennis Schröder was the top scorer for the Germans with 28 points. Aleksa Avramovic’s 21 points were not enough for Serbia. The Germans made the difference in the third quarter with a 22-10 intermediate spurt, but found it quite difficult in the last quarter (14-20). In the final minute, star player Schröder single-handedly won the gold for Germany.
It is the Germans’ first world title in their first World Cup final. Until this tournament, Germany had never done better than the World Cup bronze in 2002.
For Serbia it is a second second place, after the World Cup silver in 2014. The country already became world champion in 1998 and 2002, under the flag of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia also won World Cup gold in 1970, 1978 and 1990, but those teams are not considered predecessors of Serbia by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Earlier in the day, Canada defeated the United States in the consolation final for bronze. The score was 127-118 after extra time. For Canada it is the first World Cup medal in fifteen participations. The United States, the five-time world champion, is left with a hangover.
All matches of the final phase of the World Cup were played in Pasay, a city just south of the Philippine capital Manila. During the group stage, games were also played in Jakarta, Indonesia and Okinawa, Japan.