Team USA’s Defense Ripped by Fans as Steve Kerr’s Squad Loses to Schröder, Germany

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Team USA’s road to redemption ended Friday at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in the Philippines, as the Americans fell 113-111 to Germany in the semifinals.

Four years ago at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the United States struggled to its worst-ever finish of seventh place, but there was hope for a bounce-back with Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr leading a team full of quality NBA players.

The Americans shook off a second-round loss to Lithuania and blew out Italy to reach the semis, but constant defensive breakdowns were the deciding factor in Friday’s loss.

Germany shot 57.7 percent from the field and 43.3 percent from beyond the arc, as Team USA offered up little resistance, leading to plenty of criticism from observers on X, formerly known as Twitter:

The U.S. allowed three German players to score 20 or more points and six players to score in double digits in the shootout loss.

EuroLeague star Andreas Obst led the way for Germany with 24 points, while Orlando Magic wing Franz Wagner had 22 points and five rebounds, Indiana Pacer forward Daniel Theis added 21 points and seven rebounds, and Toronto Raptors guard Dennis Schröder chipped in 17 points and nine assists.

Wagner was arguably the most impactful player for Germany as he consistently got to the rim with ease and finished strong:

The Americans led 60-59 at halftime, but Germany took over the game in the third quarter, outscoring Team USA 35-24 to take a commanding 10-point lead into the final period.

Team USA fought back and whittled the deficit to 108-107 with 1:35 left, but Germany scored the next five points to essentially put it out of reach.

The U.S. was strong offensively in its own right Friday, shooting 58.5 percent from the floor and 48.0 percent from deep with four players scoring in double figures.

Minnesota Timberwolves All-Star guard Anthony Edwards, who was USA’s best player throughout the tournament, led the team with 23 points, while Los Angeles Lakers rising star Austin Reaves scored 21 off the bench.

While the Americans didn’t do enough defensively, the Germans deserve plenty of credit, as they remain the only undefeated team at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Germany will move on to face Serbia in the gold-medal game Sunday, while the United States and Canada will meet in a North American clash earlier that day for bronze.