The biggest shocks at the Basketball World Cup
The FIBA Basketball World Cup is currently underway in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, and the countdown to the final is on with the showpiece match set to take place at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay on September 10.
The United States, who are serial winners of the Naismith Trophy, are the unsurprising favourites to regain their title from Spain if you are looking for a bet on basketball, but Canada have been in sensational form and they could prove a thorn in the side of their neighbours as they seek their first World Cup success since 1994.
So, with an upset potentially on the cards, let’s take a look at some of the biggest shocks that have already happened to this stage in the Basketball World Cup.
USA 104-110 Lithuania
Lithuania might be a top-10 team in the world, currently sitting eighth in the rankings, but very few would have given them a chance to beat the USA. On a seven-game unbeaten run going into this second-round game, the Baltic state were fancied at outside odds of 9/1 — or 10.00 if you need a bet calculator to work out the decimal — but they stunned the five-time World Cup winners with a 110-104 victory.
Vaidas Kariniauskas scored 15 points and two assists, while Mindaugas Kuzminskas registered 14 points and one assist as both played a big role in their nation’s monumental victory.
Serbia 76-78 Italy
Just four places separate European rivals Serbia (6th) and Italy (10th) in the basketball world rankings and despite the fact the Italians had won the last two meetings between the pair, not many expected the Italians to surprise Nikola Jovic and company in this second-round encounter.
It was incredibly tight, with Serbia boasting a slender 62-59 advantage going into the fourth quarter. But Italy scored 19 to their counterpart’s 14 in the final 12 minutes to win 78-76. Utah Jazz small forward scored 30 points and provided three assists in a standout performance.
Australia 82-85 Germany
One of the favourites to win the Basketball World Cup after picking up a bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Australia had a relatively disappointing campaign as they crashed out much earlier than expected. Their defeat to Germany was the first sign of chinks in their armour, letting a 66-62 lead slip in the final quarter as the Europeans outscored them 23-16 in the closing 12 minutes.
Denis Schroder has been one of the standout players at the tournament and he dropped a sensational performance against the Boomers, scoring 30 points and registering eight assists. It was a monumental win for the 11th-ranked team in the world against the third-best side, and Germany are now the third favourites to win the entire competition.
Spain 69-74 Latvia
Defending champions Spain had a World Cup to forget as they crashed out in the second round, but in their defence, Latvia have proven a real thorn in the side out in Asia. Ranked 29th in the world, the Baltic state also stunned France (5th) and Brazil (13th) to reach the quarter-finals. However, it was the victory over the best-ranked team in the world Spain that caused the biggest upset.
Latvia trailed 58-47 going into the final quarter but turned over the deficit by scoring 27 to Spain’s 11 for a 74-69 win. Oklahoma City Thunder Power Forward Davis Bertans was his side’s standout performer, with the ‘Latvian Laser’ racking up 16 points and one assist.