Wheat Hotchkiss

Pacers center Daniel Theis and Germany made history on Sunday in the Philippines, winning the 2023 FIBA World Cup with an 83-77 victory over Serbia. The win was Germany's first ever in the world championship.

Theis started every game for Germany in the tournament, with his 21-point effort in the semifinal playing a huge part in the Germans' upset of the United States. In the gold medal game, Theis logged 23 minutes and tallied two points, four rebounds, and two assists.

Raptors guard Dennis Schröder scored a game-high 28 points for Germany on Sunday and sealed the victory with some key plays down the stretch on his way to locking up tournament MVP honors.

Magic forward Franz Wagner finished with 19 points, seven rebounds, and three steals for Germany, who finished a perfect 8-0 in the tournament while every other country lost at least two games.

Aleksa Avramovic had a team-high 21 points for Serbia and Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic added 17 points and five assists. Despite not having several key players including two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, Serbia still was able to secure the silver medal in the 32-team event.

Earlier on Sunday, Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton and the United States came up just short of a bronze medal, falling to Canada 127-118 in overtime in the third-place game.

Down 111-107 with 4.2 seconds left in regulation, Nets forward Mikal Bridges pulled off a remarkable play to force overtime. Faced with two free throws, Bridges made the first and intentionally missed the second, then chased the rebound into the right corner and drained a three to tie the game.

But Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander scored the first five points of the extra session and Canada never relinquished the lead.

Haliburton played over 30 minutes, finishing with six points on 2-of-6 3-point shooting, a team-high seven assists, five rebounds, one steal, and one block.

Six Americans scored in double figures in the loss, led by Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards (24 points and five rebounds), Lakers guard Austin Reaves (23 points and five boards), and Bridges (19 points, nine rebounds, and four assists).

The United States was without three players for its final World Cup game, as Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr., Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram, and Magic forward Paolo Banchero all were unavailable due to illness.

Rockets wing Dillon Brooks had a monster night for Canada, scoring 39 points and going 7-for-8 from 3-point range while also tallying four rebounds, five assists, a steal, and two blocks.

Gilgeous-Alexander also had a big night, collecting a double-double with 31 points and 12 assists, while Knicks forward RJ Barrett added 23 points and seven boards.

By reaching the semifinals, all four of the United States, Canada, Germany, and Serbia have qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. South Sudan, Japan, and Australia also secured Olympic berths during the World Cup as the best-finishing nations from Africa, Asia, and Oceania, respectively. France has an automatic spot in the 12-team Olympic tournament as a the host nation, while the other four spots will be determined by qualifying tournaments held next July.

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Theis, Germany Win Gold in World Cup, Haliburton and USA Finish Fourth

Two Pacers went head-to-head on Friday in the Philippines in the semifinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Daniel Theis and Germany ultimately prevailed, stunning Tyrese Haliburton and the United States, 113-111.

Theis had his strongest showing of the tournament, scoring 21 points on 10-of-15 shooting and pulling down seven rebounds to help Germany advance to the final against Serbia.

Haliburton had seven points and a team-high eight assists for the Americans, who outscored Germany by 14 points with Haliburton on the floor.

Friday's contest was high scoring and tightly contested. Haliburton's first points came just before halftime, with a three that broke a 57-57 tie. Theis answered with a putback on the other end to make it a one-point game at the intermission, part of a 13-point, four-assist first half for the Pacers' veteran big man.

Germany gradually built up a lead in the second half. Theis' tip-in of his own miss with 8:21 remaining in the third quarter put Germany up 66-64 and they never relinquished the lead for the rest of the game.

The Germans led by 10 entering the fourth quarter and were up 106-94 following Johannes Thiemann's jumper with 5:23 to play. With Haliburton on the floor, the Americans came storming back, cutting the deficit to one following two Austin Reaves free throws with 1:35 remaining.

Germany got some breathing room on the other end, when Dennis Schröder connected with Andreas Obst on a baseline inbounds play. Obst got Haliburton to bite on a pump-fake, then drained a corner three to push the lead back to four.

Isaac Bonga blocked Mikal Bridges on the other end, Theis secured the rebound, and Schröder converted a step-back jumper. That sequence proved to be enough to secure the victory for Germany.

Obst had 24 points and went 4-for-8 from 3-point range for Germany in the win. Orlando Magic wing Franz Wagner added 22 points and five veterans, while NBA veteran Schröder added 17 points and nine assists.

Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards had a team-high 23 points and eight assists for the United States. Lakers guard Reaves had 21 points on 7-of-10 shooting, Nets forward Bridges scored 17, and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson finished with 15 points and seven assists.

The United States will face Canada in the bronze medal game on Sunday at 4:30 AM ET. They will finish better than they did in the last World Cup in 2019, when they came in seventh, but will not be winning the world championship for a sixth time.

Germany has reached the World Cup final for the first time ever and will play for the gold medal against Serbia at 8:40 AM ET on Sunday.

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Theis, Germany Knock Off Haliburton, USA in World Cup Semifinals

There will be a Pacer playing in the championship game of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Either Tyrese Haliburton and the United States or Daniel Theis and Germany will be in the final after Germany gutted out an 81-79 win over Latvia on Wednesday in the Philippines to advance to face the USA in the semifinals.

Theis came through in the clutch to help Germany secure a semifinal berth. Germany led 79-69 with a little over two minutes remaining, but Latvia reeled off eight straight points in a 1:02 stretch to climb within two.

German guard Dennis Schröder missed a jumper with 51 seconds to play, but Theis was there to secure the offensive rebound and draw a foul on Latvia forward Davis Bertans with 49 seconds remaining. Theis then knocked down both free throws to once again make it a two-possession game.

Arturs Zagars wound up converting a layup with 33 seconds to play. Schröder then missed on the other end, giving Latvia a chance to steal the win, but Bertans couldn't convert a potential game-winning three at the buzzer.

Theis finished with nine points and eight rebounds in just under 22 minutes for Germany.

Orlando Magic forward Franz Wagner -- back in the lineup after sitting out the last four games with an ankle injury, led the team with 16 points, eight rebounds, and three assists.

Bertans had a game-high 20 points on 6-of-13 3-point shooting for Latvia.

Germany is the only team that has yet to lose at this year's World Cup. They will face a stiff test on Friday against the United States. The two teams played in an exhibition in Abu Dhabi last month, with the USA rallying from a double-digit deficit to pull out a win.

The USA and Germany will tip off at 8:40 AM ET on Friday in Manila. In the other semifinal, Canada will square off with Serbia.

All four teams will wrap up the World Cup on Sunday, with the two semifinal losers first competing in a third-place game, followed by the championship. The United States has won the tournament five times previously. Serbia was runner-up to the USA in 2014. Germany's best finish is third place in 2002, while Canada has reached the semifinals for the first time ever.

As one of the last two remaining European teams, Germany has also now clinched a spot in the 2024 Olympics. The United States already clinched an Olympic berth by being one of two North or South American countries to reach the quarterfinals.

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Theis, Germany Win to Set Up Semifinal Showdown with Haliburton, USA

The United States men's national team bounced back from Sunday's loss to Lithuania with a dominant performance on Tuesday, steamrolling Italy 100-63 in the 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals in the Philippines.

Pacers All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton had a big hand in the USA's success. Haliburton went 6-for-8 from 3-point range on his way to 18 points, four rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block.

Haliburton provided the highlight that summed up the game, throwing a between-the-legs alley oop to Paolo Banchero.

Mikal Bridges had a team-high 24 points for the United States, while Austin Reaves added 12 in a balanced effort.

With the victory, the Americans advance to Friday's semifinals, where they will face the winner of Wednesday's game between Germany and Latvia. If Germany wins, Haliburton will go head-to-head with his Pacers teammate Daniel Theis for a berth in Sunday's championship game.

By advancing this far, the United States has already qualified for the Olympics and ensured no worse than a fourth-place finish. That will be an improvement on their performance in the last World Cup in 2019, when the United States finished seventh. The Americans won the two previous iterations of the world championship in 2010 and 2014.

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Haliburton Hits Six Threes, as USA Rolls into World Cup Semifinals

There were mixed results on Sunday for the two Pacers taking part in the 2023 FIBA World Cup on the final day of group play.

Daniel Theis and Germany cruised to a comfortable victory over Slovenia, but Tyrese Haliburton and the United States were upset by Lithuania. Both the USA and Germany had already qualified for the quarterfinals -- Sunday's games simply determined their spot in the bracket.

Germany rolled past Slovenia, 100-71, in Okinawa, Japan to finish a perfect 5-0 in group play. Theis tallied 14 points on 7-of-12 shooting and seven rebounds in the victory.

Raptors guard Dennis Schröder recorded a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists for Germany in the victory.

Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic had 23 points, six rebounds, and six assists for Slovenia in the loss, but went just 2-for-11 from 3-point range and attempted just five free throws after averaging 13.5 attempts from the charity stripe over his first four games in the tournament.

The United States, however, never fully recovered from the early hole they dug on Sunday in Manila, Philippines, falling to Lithuania, 110-104.

Haliburton finished with three points, two rebounds, and tied for the team lead with seven assists.

Lithuania quickly built a significant lead on Sunday, closing the first quarter with a 14-2 run that put them up 31-12. They led by as many as 21 points in the second quarter and took a 54-37 advantage into halftime.

The USA mounted a charge in the third quarter, opening the frame with a 15-2 run to  climb within four. They kept it close, but didn't manage to get any closer for the remainder of the quarter. Haliburton entered midway through the frame and assisted on three straight American baskets, but Lithuania still led 71-65 entering the fourth quarter.

Lithuania managed to push the margin back to 10 in the early stages of the final frame. That's where the margin stood with under six minutes remaining, when Haliburton got a step-back three to fall.

Jalen Brunson's jumper cut the deficit to 89-85 with 4:45 remaining, but Lithuania reeled off the next six points and held on down the stretch for the victory.

Anthony Edwards had 35 points for the USA in the loss, going 14-for-25 from the field and 5-for-12 from 3-point range.

Seven players reached double figures for Lithuania in a balanced effort, including 12 points and seven rebounds from NBA veteran big man Jonas Valanciunas.

Despite the loss, the United States officially qualified for the 2024 Olympics on Sunday. The top two teams in the World Cup from North and South America secure Olympic berths and losses on Sunday by Puerto Rico, Brazil, and the Dominican Republic ensured that the USA would be one of the top two finishers from the Americas.

The quarterfinals begin on Tuesday, with the United States playing Italy at 8:40 AM ET. They will be on the same side of the bracket as Germany, who will play Latvia at 4:45 AM ET on Wednesday.

On the other side of the bracket, Lithuania faces Serbia and Canada takes on Slovenia.

All teams in the quarterfinals will play three more games, as there is a full consolation bracket in place to rank the finishing teams first through eighth.

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Germany Wins, But USA Stumbles in Final Games Before World Cup Quarterfinals

The two Pacers taking part in the 2023 FIBA World Cup picked up two more wins on Friday, as Tyrese Haliburton and the United States and Daniel Theis and Germany both improved to 4-0 in the competition and clinched berths in the quarterfinals.

The United States prevailed 85-73 over Montenegro in the Philippines. Haliburton had another strong game off the bench, tallying 10 points, a team-high six assists, two rebounds, and two steals in 23:30. The Americans outscored Montenegro by 13 points with Haliburton the floor, the second-highest plus/minus of any player.

The Americans withstood a terrific game from Bulls center Nikola Vucevic, who had a game-high 21 points and 16 rebounds (seven offensive) in the loss for Montenegro.

The United States' win, coupled with Lithuania's victory over Greece, ensures that the USA will finish in the top two in their group and thus advance to the quarterfinals. They play one more group game against Lithuania on Sunday at 8:40 AM ET to determine their seeding for the quarterfinals, which take place on Tuesday.

Germany is also through to the quarterfinals thanks to a 100-73 drubbing of Georgia combined with Slovenia's win over Australia.

Theis had 11 points, four rebounds, three assists, one block, and one steal for Germany in Friday's victory in Okinawa, Japan.

Former Pacer Goga Bitadze had a team-high 15 points and six rebounds for Georgia.

Germany will have a showdown with Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Sunday at 7:40 AM ET. That game will determine the seeding for both countries in the quarterfinals.

The United States and Germany cannot meet in the quarterfinals, so any teammate showdown between Haliburton and Theis would not happen until at least the quarterfinals.

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Two More World Cup Wins for Haliburton, Theis

Tyrese Haliburton and the United States men's national team cruised past Jordan on Wednesday in the Philippines in a 110-62 rout that secured a perfect 3-0 record in the preliminary group round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Haliburton led the USA in minutes despite coming off the bench, playing 21:14. The Pacers' All-Star point guard finished with six points on 2-of-3 3-point shooting, a team-high six assists, four rebounds, and one steal.

Four players reached double figures for the Americans, led by Timberwolves forward Anthony Edwards, who tallied 22 points and eight rebounds. Bucks forward Bobby Portis scored 13 points, Grizzlies big man Jaren Jackson Jr. added 12, and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson tallied 10.

Knicks guard Josh Hart was the only one of the 12 American players to not score at least five points, finishing with two, but he also pulled down a team-best 12 rebounds.

Former NBA forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson led Jordan with 20 points and seven rebounds.

After going 3-0 in Group C, the United States will advance to the second round, where the USA and Greece (the runner-up in Group C) will be placed in a new group with Lithuania and Montenegro (the first and second-place teams in Group D).

The USA will play Montenegro on Friday and Lithuania on Sunday, while Greece plays Lithuania on Friday and Montenegro on Sunday. All of the teams' initial records carry over to this round and two teams with the best record after Sunday will advance to the quarterfinals, which begin on Tuesday.

Germany, which features Pacers center Daniel Theis, also won its initial group to advance to the second round. Germany faces All-NBA guard Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Friday and former Pacer Goga Bitadze and Georgia on Sunday.

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Haliburton Helps United States Win Group with Rout of Jordan

Daniel Theis and Germany dominated Finland on Tuesday, cruising to a 101-75 victory, in Okinawa, Japan. With the victory, Germany won Group E and will advance (along with second-place Australia) to the secondary group round.

Theis tallied eight points, three rebounds, three assists, and a steal in 17:29. Five of his teammates reached double figures, led by Dennis Schröder and Isaac Bonga with 15 points apiece.

For the next round, Germany and Australia will be placed in a new group along with the first and second-place finishers from Group F. Win-loss records from the first round will carry over and Germany and Australia will each play one game against the two Group F teams, with the top two teams after those games advancing to the quarterfinals.

Second round games will be on Friday and Sunday, with the quarterfinals starting on Tuesday, Sept. 5.

Theis' Pacers teammate Tyrese Haliburton will also be taking part in the second round. The United States has already secured a spot after its first two group games and can win Group C with a victory on Wednesday against Jordan.