They took a risk and departed, fully aware of the harsh reality. They knew that the odds were against them, as the American team was heavily favored. However, they believed it was a sensible bet to try and win. With this in mind, they made a strategic decision to assemble their roster for the USA Team in the World Game, taking place in Manila, Philippines.
Team USA, in the global semifinals on Friday, suffered a 113-111 defeat against Germany, another European squad that dominated the Americans with their superior height and capitalized on this advantage. Although other qualities could potentially compensate for the disparity in size, this strategy ultimately proved unsuccessful.
In the face of Canada, who was defeated by Serbia in the other semifinal of the day, they will accept the opportunity to compete for the bronze medal on Sunday (ESPN+, 4:45 a.M. ET). This will prevent the Americans from winning the gold in the competition for the second time in a row.
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In the prior defeat, similar to its performance against Lithuania last weekend, the team was simply too undersized, and this was consistently evident. The United States showcased a spirited and assertive style of play.
Team USA coach Steve Kerr remarked, “They possess numerous large, robust individuals.” “They exert considerable pressure on your defensive strategies, and it is only fair to acknowledge their superiority as they outperformed us.”
Germany had eight, while Team USA also had eight, resulting in 25 second-chance points. The Germans secured 12 offensive rebounds, allowing them to regain possession when they missed shots. Ultimately, Germany had a greater opportunity to score due to their ability to obtain additional chances.
Combined with the advantage of height, it appears that Dennis Schroder, the German guard, is a skilled player who can handle the ball under pressure. Although the U.S. Team often struggled to defend against his passing abilities, they couldn’t afford to miss his high-percentage shots.
And that was not able to be survived.
Guard Anthony Edwards, who scored 23 points and attempted to spearhead a late rally, expressed, “Throughout the entire game, we were consistently outrebounded. They displayed a greater level of physicality compared to us.”
In the last two minutes of the final, the U.S. Took the lead by as much as 12 points after Germany. The American charge was held off, but Andreas Obst’s last 3-pointer and his 24 points cut the deficit to one.
Making 13 out of 30 shots from beyond the arc, the Germans certainly forced the U.S. To pay, capitalizing on favorable opportunities from the perimeter. Adopting a defensive strategy of crowding the paint in order to address the challenge of size resulted in the Germans exploiting mismatches when the U.S. Switched during screen-and-roll plays.
This resulted in Germany shooting an impressive 58% overall and accumulating 50 points in the paint.
The German NBA tall players indulged, with Franz Wagner concluding with 22 points and Daniel Theis achieving 21. Furthermore, Schroder concluded with 17 points.
“If you give up 113 points in a 40-minute game, it’s not a good feeling to lose, especially when you’re going against a team that has many skilled players,” stated Austin Reaves, who scored 21 points.
Walker Kessler, the sole legitimate center chosen for the team, was excluded from the rotation as Kerr opted for a small lineup throughout the entire tournament. Paolo Banchero was utilized as a substitute big man. Kerr continued to employ this strategy, with Jaren Jackson Jr. Assuming the center position and Josh Hart playing as the power forward.
One of the factors that has contributed to the fast-break-generating and aggressive defense is the alignment with which the USA Team won and can win under the correct circumstances.
It was not feasible to make an error in the margin. However, there were significant advantages in mitigating the opponent’s size, and it even provided an extremely favorable draw with the added benefit of travel.
The squad was unable to participate in the match due to an upper respiratory ailment, with Brandon Ingram being the only player from Team USA who played. This was the team’s initial absence from a game in the tournament caused by either injury or illness.
Anthony Edwards spearheaded Team USA with 23 points and Mikal Bridges contributed 17.
Jalen Brunson, who scored 15 points and provided seven assists, expressed, “Due to the rich history of USA basketball, there is an inherent expectation for us to emerge victorious. I suppose we are expected to win consistently, year after year. However, it is evident that we did not perform at our best right from the beginning.”