MANILA :Germany won their first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup title by beating undermanned Serbia 83-77 in a slugfest of the two European powerhouses on Sunday in Manila.Germany leaned on a 22-10 surge in the third quarter, orchestrated by brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner, to build a cushion and win the World Cup's first all-European final since 2006.The tournament most valuable player Dennis Schroder carried Germany with a game-high 28 points, way above his average of 17.9 points per game, and added two rebounds and two assists."This is an unbelievable group...
coach did a great job bringing us together," Schroder told a press conference. "Our defence and how we play as a basketball team is just special."Germany, who won all eight tournament games, became the first team since 2006 to win a FIBA World Cup crown while debuting in the final.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.The two teams were tied at 47 by halftime but Germany built up a 12-point lead late in the third quarter and never looked back.Marko Guduric converted two free throws, cutting Germany's lead to two, 79-77, with 39.5 ticks to go in the final frame.
But a costly turnover and missed three-pointers prevented Serbia's comeback.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.Earlier, Canada bagged their first World Cup podium finish at the expense of short-handed United States 127-118 in overtime in a riveting, record-setting