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.