U.S. point guard Jalen Brunson spoke about his less-than-successful performance heading into today’s game as his team lost to Germany in the 2023 Basketball World Cup semifinals.
The New York Knicks player was not satisfied with his performance against the European team and summed it up in a few words. “Too bad. It’s that simple,” he said.
Brunson scored 15 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds in more than 20 minutes of playing time, but his biggest problem is defense. The point guard failed to stop Germany’s perimeter play, with Dennis Schröder and Andreas Obst both the two main sparkplugs for Europe’s offense.
The left-hander added that it was a tough defeat for the team, but they will be ready for Sunday’s world bronze medal game against Canada after losing 95-86 to Serbia.
Both North American teams were favorites for this Sunday’s final, but they lost to a European team that used its experience at the FIBA level to defeat two of the world’s basketball powers.
Germany and Serbia will compete in the World Cup final in a match that will feature two teams from the Old World for the first time since 2006.