Germany and Serbia have reached the final of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, setting up a highly anticipated clash between two of the tournament’s most exciting teams.
Both teams booked their places in the final with thrilling wins in the semifinals. Germany defeated the United States 113-111 in a high-scoring thriller, while Serbia edged out Canada 95-86 in a more physical contest.
The final will be played at the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines at 14:40 CET (20:40 local time).
The game promises to be a close and exciting contest, with both teams capable of winning. Germany has a balanced team with a strong inside game, while Serbia has a number of talented guards who can score from anywhere on the court.
Serbia and Germany have a brief history of meeting in international basketball.
Their only FIBA Basketball World Cup matchup was in 2010, when Germany won 82-81 in double overtime in Kayseri, Turkey. Milenko Tepic’s layup came up just short for Serbia.
They have also faced off twice in FIBA EuroBasket games, with Serbia winning both. In 2015, Serbia won 68-66 in Germany, and in 2011, they won 75-64 in Lithuania.
Of the players who competed for Serbia in the 2015 EuroBasket, Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Milutinov, Maodo Lo, Niels Giffey, Dennis Schroder, and Johannes Voigtmann are still active.