While Stefan Jovic launched Serbia, Ognjen Dobric injured his ankle while trying to attack the German defense. The Bologna player must return to the locker room, helped by two teammates…
Overall, this start of the match is in any case very different from the small final between the United States and Canada.
We have the impression that the meeting is taking place at a false pace, with each team trying to save their energy to accelerate at the appropriate time. Andreas Obst makes his 3-point shot talk but it is Bogdan Bogdanovic and his troops who are slightly in the lead (26-23) after ten minutes.
The tension is palpable with players who seek above all to limit errors (lost balls, offensive rebounds, etc.), well aware that this final will be decided on details.
Isaac Bonga still brings a little punch to the German attack, a role that Filip Petrusev brings to the Serbian side. Bogdan Bogdanovic senses an opening and his 3-pointer puts his team at +4 (42-38).
Gordon Herbert immediately calls a time-out and Germany picks up behind Dennis Schröder, already the author of 14 points (like Franz Wagner) at half-time. Opposite, Bogdan Bogdanovic is at 15 points while the two teams are perfectly tied (47-47) and control their mutual intentions rather well.
With its physical and internal density, Germany thus very well hinders Serbia’s external/internal transmissions, while the latter tightens at the slightest attempt at penetration on the German side.
Aleksa Avramovic not far from creating a miracle
Bogdan Bogdanovic struggles on the offensive rebound as Germany begins the third quarter losing possessions. But in defense, the Mannschaft held strong inside, where Johannes Voigtmann disrupted ball catches and physically controlled Nikola Milutinov, whom Serbia was looking for.
The German giant also punishes on the other side and while the referees do not sanction the movement of Dennis Schröder’s leg on a 3-point foul by Aleksa Avramovic, Serbia is under tension.
Nothing is going well for the Balkan country, with Dejan Davidovac missing his two shots and Johannes Voigtmann finding Mo Wagner perfectly under the circle. A 9-0 which allows Germany to pass the ten point gap (64-53), before Franz Wagner scores an extremely complicated 3-pointer to move to +12 (67-55).
The Mannschaft thus enters the fourth quarter with 12 points in advance (69-57) thanks in particular to the enormous overall contribution of Isaac Bonga, who does a lot of harm to Serbia with his energy and his physical impact.
It is the tension which imposes itself on both sides in the fourth quarter, with a German team which can no longer put up any points, like Daniel Theis in very great difficulty. Opposite, it is Aleksa Avramovic who allows Serbia to stay alive, while Bogdan Bogdanovic has strangely disappeared from circulation…
On three free throws, he brings Serbia back to one possession (78-75)! And Bogdan Bogdanovic steals the ball from Isaac Bonga after the German timeout, but Marko Guduric misses the 3-point equalizer.
Behind, Dennis Schröder only scores one free throw out of two and Serbia comes back to two points (79-77) on two throws from Marko Guduric. But Dennis Schröder goes to the circle for perhaps the most important basket of his career (81-77). There are 21 seconds left in this final.
Aleksa Avramovic misses her 3-pointer and Marko Guduric loses the ball while trying to pass the ball under the circle. Dennis Schröder registers his free throws (83-77) and Gordon Herbert’s Germany can exult! The Mannschaft are world champions for the first time in their history!
Highlights and stats to come…
