Germany vs. Serbia: Odds, Time, Live Stream for 2023 FIBA World Cup Final
Sep 9, 2023
MANILA, PHILIPPINES - SEPTEMBER 8: The German Mens National team celebrates after the game in the semi-finals as part of the 2023 FIBA World Cup on September 8, 2023 at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2023 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
The championship game of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup is set and the two opponents are a bit of a surprise.
Serbia took down Canada 95-86 and Germany upset the U.S. 113-111 to clinch spots in the championship game. Serbia was ranked No. 6 in the world while Germany was ranked No. 11 entering the tournament.
Serbia is 6-1 thus far in the tournament with the lone defeat coming at the hands of Italy. The team took down Lithuania in the quarterfinals to set up the final with Canada. The country is seeking its third FIBA World Cup gold medal and the first since 2002.
Germany is a perfect 7-0 thus far and defeated Latvia in the quarterfinals before the matchup against the U.S. The country is seeking its first gold medal at the FIBA World Cup and have clinched their best performance in the tournament in the country's history. The previous top finish was a bronze medal in 2002.
Here is a look at when the game is set to tip off, who is the favorite going in and where you can find the game.
Germany's upset over the U.S. was significant and was truly a shock to the basketball world.
The U.S. was a heavy favorite, possessed a roster made up entirely of NBA talent and was probably already looking ahead to their opponent in the final.
Instead it will be Germany who are looking to complete a cinderella run. Dennis Schroder is the team's go-to-guy as he leads the team in points (17.9) and assists (6.7). Franz Wagner leads the team in rebounds with 6.3 and is also averaging 16 points and 3.3 points thus far in the tournament.
Serbia have a balanced attack headed by Bogdan Bogdanovic. He is averaging 19.4 points, which leads the team, and is also contributing 3.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. Nikola Milutinov is leading the team with nine assists per game while also contributing 13.6 points. Other notables include Nikola Jovic, Stefan Jovic, Filip Petrusev and Marko Guduric.
Serbia have the better international resume but Germany is playing the hotter hand. Both teams took down significant opponents in the semifinal and finishing the job is all that separates these teams from a statement performance.
The action in Manila should be electric and will provide a fitting conclusion to the heralded tournament.
Germany Walks off Football Pitch After Jordan Torunarigha Allegedly Racially Abused
Jul 17, 2021
BERLIN, GERMANY - MAY 09: Jordan Torunarigha of Hertha BSC runs with the ball during the Bundesliga match between Hertha BSC and DSC Arminia Bielefeld at Olympiastadion on May 09, 2021 in Berlin, Germany. Sporting stadiums around Germany remain under strict restrictions due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in games being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Boris Streubel/Getty Images)
Germany walked off the pitch five minutes early during Saturday's friendly against Honduras due to allegations of racial abuse by Jordan Torunarigha.
The German national team Twitter account stated the game was called with the score tied 1-1.
Per the Associated Press, Torunarigha was the subject of racist chants by some Schalke fans during a Germany Cup game with Hertha Berlin in February 2020.
Torunarigha was later sent off in the game for throwing a crate of water to the ground after colliding with the Schalke manager.
"We tried to calm him down, we asked the referee to protect the player and when this foul came you must show sympathy for his situation," then-Hertha manager Jurgen Klinsmann told reporters. "But the opposite was the case."
Hertha Berlin, Torunarigha's club since 2006, offered its support for the German squad and the 23-year-old.
Torunarigha has been part of the German national team since 2012 as a member of the under-16 squad. He will be making his first Olympic appearance with the squad at the Tokyo Games.
The match between Germany and Honduras was going to consist of three 30-minute segments. It was the final tune-up match for both teams before the Olympics.
Germany is scheduled to begin Olympic play on July 22 against Brazil at International Stadium Yokohama.
Germany Tops 2-Man Bobsled Results on Sunday at 2018 Winter Olympics
Feb 18, 2018
Driver Nico Walther and Christian Poser of Germany pass a couple as they pose for a selfie during the two-man bobsled competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, Sunday, Feb. 18, 2018. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)
German duos sit in first and third place after Sunday's two-man bobsled action at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang.
Nico Walther and his team-mate Christian Poser lead after two runs, holding the advantage over the second German team, led by Johannes Lochner. Canada, with pilot Justin Kripps, sit in second place, sandwiched between the German duos.
Walther and Poser survived a serious scare at the end of their run, flipping their sled just as they crossed the finish line, per CBC Olympics:
Germany crossing the finish line in style in their 2nd run in the men's 2-man bobsleigh
Great Britain were among the surprise standouts during the opening runs, as Bradley Hall turned a solid start into an excellent time and a temporary hold on first place. Per Team GB, he did so in a record time:
The time of 49:37 was never going to be enough for the lead by the end of the session, but for a British team gunning for a top-10 finish, it was a superb start.
The Canadian and German teams soon pushed Hall out of the lead, and Latvia's Oskars Kibermanis was very fast through the first sector, settling for second place after a few bumps toward the end.
Compatriot Oskars Melbardis fared better, pushing the Canadian duo led by Kripps into second place by just 0.02 of a second.
Nick Cunningham struggled with the conditions, slumping to a slower time and even losing the back of his sled at one point. Per sportswriter Ken Childs, it didn't come as a surprise:
Nick Cunningham's struggled with Curve 2 all throughout training. He's got less runs on this track than most of the field.
At the end of the first runs, Melbardis led ahead of Kripps, with Germany's Walther in third. The British team slotted into seventh place.
Hall's main task in his second run was to stay ahead of Austria's Austria's Benjamin Maier, and the British team managed to do so, if just barely, in a time of 49:50.
Walther took the lead from compatriot Lochner with his second run, a 49:27 that was still significantly slower than Melbardis' first run. Kripps was also slower, landing behind Lochner with his second run, and Melbardis dropped all the way to fourth after a poor run from the Latvian.
That moved Walther into the lead ahead of Kripps and Lochner, with two runs still to come on Monday.
