The finalists for the 2023 FIBA World Cup gold medal game will be decided ahead of the weekend, as two semifinal matchups will tip off on Friday, Sept. 8. Team USA has been the favorite to win it all since day one but will face a talented Germany squad in its next matchup. The winner will go for gold on Sunday against whoever wins Friday's Canada-Serbia semifinal matchup, which is set to start before USA-Germany (here's the full bracket).
Team USA coasted to the semifinals after throttling Italy 100-63 in the quarterfinals. The headliners were stagnant on offense in that contest, but Mikal Bridges and Tyrese Haliburton picked up the slack with hot shooting and phenomenal defense. Other Americans could need to bring their A-games against Germany, though. While Germany only crept by with a two-point win against Latvia in its quarterfinal matchup, it can challenge Team USA at its best. Germany led the Americans by 16 points in an exhibition game ahead of the group stage before imploding down the stretch. The result could be different in the rematch.
Ahead of the semifinal matchup, here's everything you need to know:
Team USA vs. Germany
- Date: Friday, Sept. 8 | Time: 5:40 a.m. ET
- Location: Mall of Asia Arena -- Manila, Philippines
- TV channel: ESPN2 | Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Team USA -9.5 | O/U: 178.5
Storylines
Both of these teams have reliable floor generals at point guard in Dennis Schroder and Jalen Brunson. While the two of them have proven to be dangerous as scorers and facilitators on the international stage, both were underwhelming in their previous outings. The duo had nearly identical stat lines and combined for 18 points with eight assists in the quarterfinals. The better point guard's team could very well come out on top here.
Another thing worth watching is the frontcourt battle. Jaren Jackson Jr. has struggled with foul trouble in two straight contests and Germany isn't short on physical bigs. Daniel Theis, Johannes Voigtmann, and Johannes Theimann crash the boards with reckless abandon. Then there's Moritz Wagner, who never shies away from contact. The NBA's reigning Defensive Player of the Year will have to have his wits about him to avoid handicapping Team USA early.
Prediction
Both these teams have plenty of NBA talent. While Team USA essentially has NBA starters across the board, Germany's NBA talent is far more experienced with FIBA basketball. The underdogs will likely lose, but Germany will keep it respectable enough to cover with physicality thanks to its more consistent frontcourt rotation. Pick: Germany +9.5
