The final two matches of the basketball World Cup in Manila were contrasting affairs. Germany conquered Serbia in a slugfest for gold, and Canada tasted a sweet victory over Team USA in the bronze-medal play-off.
Germany were crowned world basketball champions in Manila on Sunday, while Team USA lost their bronze-medal play-off to Canada and didn’t even get onto the podium.
Canada’s Dillon Brooks drives to the basket against the USA’s Josh Hart in the bronze-medal play-off.“We put ourselves in a great position. We got to the semi-finals and were right there, but we couldn’t get enough stops. We didn’t defend well enough against Germany and Canada.” Serbia absorbed another heartbreak after losing to the United States 129-92 in the 2014 final, but finished better than their quarter-final exit in 2019.
Serbia’s Ognjen Dobric was carried off the floor with an ankle injury in the first quarter. Their power forward, Borisa Simanic, underwent surgery in Manila to remove a kidney after taking a blow to his midsection against South Sudan in a preliminary match.