2023 FIBA World Cup: Germany defeats Serbia to win first gold; Team USA loses to Canada in OT

Germany remained undefeated at the FIBA World Cup on Sunday, winning its first World Cup gold medal in an 83-77 victory over Serbia. This is just the second time Germany has medaled at the FIBA World Cup, with the first being a bronze in 2002.

The first half of the game was tight, with the score knotted 47-47 after the second quarter. Germany managed to take a commanding lead over Serbia in the third quarter, in which Serbia scored just 10 points to Germany's 22. But the tables turned in the fourth as Serbia mounted a serious comeback attempt, barraging Germany with 20 points to narrow the gap to just two points with under a minute left. But a layup and two free throws scored by Germany ended Serbia's comeback attempt and left them with silver, while Germany took home gold.

Germany was led by its two stars, Dennis Schröder and Franz Wagner. Schröder was the game's top scorer with 28 points, and Wagner scored 19 and snagged seven rebounds. Wagner won Player of the Game, while Schröder won the MVP award for the entire tournament.

No medal for Team USA

Team USA is leaving the FIBA World Cup without a medal.

In a thrilling bronze-medal game that went into overtime, Canada outdueled Team USA 127-118 to win the first FIBA World Cup medal in history and its first major international basketball medal since the 1936 Olympics in Berlin.

Stars on both sides of the court displayed their prowess, making it feel more like an NBA game than a FIBA contest in the Philippines. Canada's Dillon Brooks put on a shooting clinic, scoring 39 points, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander netted 31. Anthony Edwards led scoring for the U.S. with 24 points, followed closely by Austin Reaves with 23.

Canada may have won and had the game's leading scorers, but the play of the game didn't come from any of them. It came from Mikal Bridges of Team USA, whose 19 points included the game-tying 3-pointer, which he made off an intentionally missed free throw he wrestled back from Canada with just 0.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter.

That mind-boggling shot sent Team USA to overtime with Canada, but the Americans couldn't rediscover the rhythm that had helped them outscore their foes in the fourth quarter. Canada more than doubled-up Team USA in OT, scoring 16 points to USA's seven.

The last time the U.S. finished in the fourth-place spot was 1967. But the last time they went without a medal at the FIBA World Cup was just four years ago in 2019 when Team USA finished seventh. It's just the second time since 1970 that Team USA has failed to medal in two straight World Cups.