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Brian Windhorst, ESPN Senior Writer
MANILA, Philippines — When Team USA assembled its roster and formulated its game plan for this World Cup cycle, it took a calculated risk. It was a logical decision, and the Americans stacked the odds in their favor in an attempt to secure victory. However, they were well aware of the potential vulnerability they faced.
This gamble, that the Americans could overcome the size differential with other attributes, ultimately failed. Germany, another European team that had a significant height advantage over Team USA, capitalized on this advantage and defeated the American team by a narrow margin of 113-111 in the world semifinals on Friday.
This loss marks the second consecutive time that the Americans will not clinch the gold in this event. Instead, they will compete for the bronze on Sunday (ESPN+, 4:45 a.m. ET) against Canada, who lost to Serbia in the other semifinal match.
Team USA played with tremendous spirit and aggression. However, their lack of size became evident, just as it did in their previous loss against Lithuania last weekend.
“They have a roster filled with big, strong players,” stated Team USA coach Steve Kerr. “They put immense pressure on your defense, and we must give them credit for simply outplaying us.”
The Germans were able to generate more scoring opportunities due to their ability to secure offensive rebounds. They grabbed a total of 12 offensive boards, resulting in 25 second-chance points (while Team USA only managed eight).
Nevertheless, the Germans did not miss their shots frequently. Point guard Dennis Schroder, particularly when in a passing mood, posed a significant threat to the U.S. as he showcased his ability to handle the intense ball pressure. Combined with Germany’s height advantage, this led to a steady stream of high-percentage looks.
And this proved to be insurmountable.
“We were outrebounded throughout the entire game,” expressed guard Anthony Edwards, who contributed 23 points and made valiant efforts to lead a late comeback. “They were more physical than us.”
In the final two minutes, Team USA managed to trim the lead to just one point after Germany had a double-digit advantage. However, Andreas Obst’s clutch 3-pointer, his final of the game, and four in total, thwarted the American charge.
The U.S. struggled defensively when defending screen-and-rolls, leading to mismatches and creating openings for the German team to exploit from beyond the arc. Germany capitalized on this opportunity and nailed an impressive 13 of their 30 attempted 3-pointers.
Consequently, Germany boasted a remarkable overall shooting percentage of 58% and accumulated 50 points in the paint.
Aside from Schroder, who finished with 17 points, the German NBA players reaped the benefits. Franz Wagner concluded the game with 22 points, while Daniel Theis contributed 21.
“If you allow the opposing team to score 113 points in a 40-minute game, chances of winning are slim,” reflected Austin Reaves, who provided 21 points. “Losing is always tough.”
Throughout the tournament, Kerr favored a small lineup, deploying Josh Hart as power forward and Jaren Jackson Jr. as center. Even when incorporating Paolo Banchero as a backup big man, Kerr adhered to his small-ball strategy and opted to exclude the only true center, Walker Kessler, from the rotation.
Under specific circumstances, Team USA can thrive with this lineup, but it necessitates an aggressive and fast-break-generating defense.
However, the margin for error was minimal. Despite a favorable draw that offered advantageous travel arrangements and opponent matchups, neutralizing the significant height disparity proved to be an insurmountable challenge.
Unfortunately, Brandon Ingram was unable to play due to an upper respiratory illness, marking the first absence in the tournament due to injury or illness for the team.
Anthony Edwards led Team USA in scoring with 23 points, while Mikal Bridges added 17.
“There is an expectation for us to consistently win year after year due to the legacy of USA basketball,” acknowledged Jalen Brunson, who contributed 15 points and seven assists. “Unfortunately, we did not bring our best performance… from the beginning.”
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