MANILA, Philippines (AP) — Germany will play the US within the semifinals of the Basketball World Cup, a rematch of an exhibition matchup from earlier this summer time the place the People wanted a giant rally to win.
Franz Wagner scored 16 factors and Germany — the final unbeaten staff left within the World Cup — held off Latvia 81-79 in a quarterfinal recreation on Wednesday, pulling away within the fourth quarter of what had been a back-and-forth matchup for the primary half-hour.
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Subsequent up: The U.S. on Friday for a spot in Sunday’s gold medal recreation. The U.S. beat Germany 99-91 on Aug. 20 in Abu Dhabi, rallying from a 16-point second-half deficit and needing an 18-0 run down the stretch to take management.
That recreation was a scrimmage, meaningless, the ultimate tune-up earlier than the World Cup. Friday’s recreation can be very, very completely different.
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“We set ourselves excessive targets and it’s going to be a problem,” Germany’s Johannes Thiemann stated. “However with these targets in thoughts, now we have to beat groups just like the U.S. And hopefully we’re ready to try this.”
Andreas Obst scored 13 for Germany (6-0), which survived on an evening the place Dennis Schroder was 4 for 26 from the ground and scored 9 factors.
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Arturs Zagars scored 24 and Davis Bertans scored 20 for Latvia (4-2).
“All I need to say is that I’m extraordinarily pleased with this staff, battling each single recreation,” stated Bertans, who took a deep 3-pointer for the lead with about 5 seconds left — then watched it hit the rim and bounce away.
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With the win, Germany is assured of no worse than its second-best end in basketball’s prime two worldwide occasions — the World Cup and the Olympics. The Germans had been third within the 2002 world championships, an occasion now referred to as the World Cup, and have by no means positioned higher than seventh at an Olympics.
Latvia — which has been with out the injured Kristaps Porzingis — can nonetheless end as excessive as fifth in its first World Cup look. It’ll play Italy in Thursday’s comfort playoffs, then play for both fifth- or seventh-place on Saturday.
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“They’re the very best staff in Europe no person talks about,” Germany coach Gordie Herbert stated of Latvia. “And so they’re lacking a pair guys, too. They play nice basketball, staff basketball. They shoot it, well-coached, I give them a number of credit score.”
The People rolled previous Italy 100-63 within the quarterfinals on Tuesday. They took Wednesday off, utilizing a part of the day to go to the Manila American Cemetery and Memorial — even participating in a short ceremony to commemorate the 1000’s of World Warfare II troopers who’re buried or memorialized there.
They’ll resume apply Thursday, totally conscious of the problem Germany offered them with about three weeks in the past.
“I simply beat Latvia. Germany’s within the semifinal of the World Cup,” Germany’s Moritz Wagner stated. “Don’t ask me concerning the USA. I’m going to get pleasure from this after which I’m going to consider the USA tomorrow.”