FIBA World Cup 2014: Schedule and Predictions for 3rd-Place Game and Final

The United States continued to power through the 2014 FIBA World Cup on Thursday, handily defeating Lithuania by a score of 96-68 and earning a spot in the coveted final. On Friday, the Americans realized their opponent, as Serbia defeated France 90-85 in the second semifinal contest.

This sets up two dramatic showdowns for the final two games of the tournament. While we wait for the United States to take on Serbia in the final, France will meet Lithuania in the third-place game. All of these teams have earned quality wins to this point in the World Cup, and all are in search of one more.

Before more compelling basketball is underway from Spain, let's take a look at the tournament's remaining schedule and predict the outcome for each game.

Date	Game	Matchup	Time (ET)
Sat., Sept. 13	3rd Place	Lithuania vs. France	12 p.m.
Sun., Sept. 14	Final	United States vs. Serbia	3 p.m.

The complete tournament bracket can be found at FIBA.com.

Predictions

Lithuania vs. France

France is a team that's incredibly difficult to predict. The team had a roller-coaster tournament but pulled off an enormous upset, defeating Spain in the quarterfinals. The French dominated that game on the inside, racking up 50 rebounds to Spain's 28. However, as good as France was, the team turned the ball over 16 times and benefited greatly from Spain's horrid three-point shooting.

In the semifinals against Serbia, France was behind and forced too many shots from downtown, decreasing its shooting efficiency and allowing Serbia to take complete control of the game. NBA tweeted the game's result:

Should the team find itself down early against Lithuania, we can expect a similar result.

Lithuania was just overmatched against the United States in the semifinals. However, the team had a great run before meeting the Americans on the hardwood. In the quarterfinals against Turkey, the Lithuanians were efficient from all over the court, shooting 44 percent from close range, 53 percent from downtown and 82 percent from the line.

The one issue for Lithuania is its defense in the paint. Turkey was able to rattle off many high-percentage shots on the inside, accumulating 38 points in the paint. If France's big men can do the same, Lithuania won't come away with the bronze.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas still has his eye on the prize:

The winner of this contest will be the team that is more capable and consistent on the inside on both ends of the floor. Lithuania gets the nod.

Prediction: Lithuania 73, France 67

United States vs. Serbia

Serbia played a great game against France to get itself into the tournament's final. France appeared to be the favorite entering the match with the moniker of being the giant-slayer after defeating Spain. The match wasn't without drama, as Serbia led by 15 points entering the fourth quarter only to see France climb back to within two. But the Serbians held on and now have a date in the final with the Americans.

NBA on ESPN noted the late-game drama:

A great shooting team, Serbia is led by point guard Milos Teodosic, shooting guard Bogdan Bogdanovic and center Miroslav Raduljica. All three players have been instrumental in the team's success, and they combined for 48 points in Serbia's semifinal win over France.

But while Serbia has shot well, rebounds have been an issue. The team lacks sufficient size on the interior—especially when in comparison to the Americans—and was only able to tally 28 rebounds in the semifinal while France racked up 32 boards in its loss.

As for the Americans, they have dominated the tournament in practically every major statistical category. The United States leads all teams with 101.5 points per game, a 51.6 field-goal percentage, 44.9 rebounds per game, 21.0 assists per game and 13.1 steals per game.

To make matters worse for Serbia, Anthony Davis is pumped for the final:

With an average height of 6'7" and an average age of 24 years, this team is a perfect combination of size, youth and athleticism. The team has six players averaging double-digit points per game and three players averaging over five rebounds per game.

Here's a look at some recent big plays by the Americans, via FIBA's official Twitter account:

The United States is getting production from its players across the board—it doesn't just have two or three go-to guys. That's why the Americans have dominated to this point, and they will dominate for one more game and take the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

Prediction: United States 98, Serbia 78