FIBA World Cup 2014: Latest Results and Championship Game Preview
With the 2014 FIBA World Cup having its share of surprises, fans should be ready for anything in the championship game.
France earned third place in the tournament thanks to a narrow win over Lithuania in the consolation game. All that is left is to decide which team takes home the gold and which will get silver in the final competition between the United States and Serbia.
Although most expect an easy American win, there have already been plenty of upsets at this event, with top squads like Spain and Brazil going down early. Based on what Serbia has done to this stage, it is hard to count the squad out now.
This final game is certain to be an entertaining one, so make sure you do not miss a second of the action. Here is a recap of the knockout stage plus a look ahead to the final matchup.
| Round of 16 | United States | Mexico | 86-63 |
| Round of 16 | France | Croatia | 69-64 |
| Round of 16 | Slovenia | Dominican Republic | 71-61 |
| Round of 16 | Spain | Senegal | 89-56 |
| Round of 16 | Lithuania | New Zealand | 76-71 |
| Round of 16 | Serbia | Greece | 90-72 |
| Round of 16 | Turkey | Australia | 65-64 |
| Round of 16 | Brazil | Argentina | 85-65 |
| Quarterfinals | Lithuania | Turkey | 73-61 |
| Quarterfinals | United States | Slovenia | 119-76 |
| Quarterfinals | Serbia | Brazil | 84-56 |
| Quarterfinals | France | Spain | 65-52 |
| Semifinals | United States | Lithuania | 96-68 |
| Semifinals | Serbia | France | 90-85 |
| 3rd Place | France | Lithuania | 95-93 |
Championship Game
Who: United States vs. Serbia
When: Sunday, September 14
Where: Madrid, Spain
Time: 3 p.m. ET
Watch: ESPN2
Live Stream: ESPN3
The United States roster is full of recognizable names for basketball fans, as players like Kyrie Irving, Derrick Rose and James Harden patrol the backcourt, while Anthony Davis, Kenneth Faried and others have impressed down low.
After winning each of its first eight games in this tournament by at least 20 points, it would certainly be surprising to see the squad finish with anything besides a gold medal.
However, Serbia is not going to give up without a fight. Center Nenad Krstic told NBA analyst Chris Sheridan, "We’re not going to be scared, for sure. Some players never get this chance—the chance to do something great in our lives."
"If they beat us, when it is over I will shake their hands. But we are going to play our game," head coach Sasha Djordjevic explained.
The squad is led by point guard Milos Teodosic, who is averaging a team-high 14 points and 4.1 assists in this tournament. Zach Harper of CBS Sports gave this short analysis:
While he does not play in the NBA, it is not because of lack of talent, as ESPN's Marc Stein notes:
He is an excellent shooter while also doing a great job of creating for others. Nemanja Bjelica and Miroslav Raduljica are quality inside scorers, while Bogdan Bogdanovic can rack up points from the perimeter.
Still, they have not faced a defense as good as the United States in this tournament. John Shuhmann of NBA.com noted this has been the best unit in Spain:
Davis and Faried are excellent interior defenders and should be able to limit the points in the paint. Their rebounding ability will also limit most possessions to just one attempt. While Teodosic could have a good game individually, he will not be able to do too much himself.
On the other end of the court, the Americans will simply use their athleticism to get easy baskets and outscore their opponent.
This will be a close game early, but the United States should be able to utilize its depth to pull away and earn a championship.
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