MANILA, Philippines — The semifinal contest was already over. Clutching a 113-111 lead that would stand as the final score, Germany called timeout with 0.5 seconds remaining against Team USA on Friday. The huddle was nothing more than an abundance of caution. Players watching from the German bench crouched eagerly behind the promotional LED screens as their starting lineup returned to the floor in firetruck-red uniforms, coiling their knees to spring into a raucous celebration.
They’d been preparing to party. Priming themselves to claim this FIBA World Cup crown ever since the club with “Deutschland” across its jerseys fell inches shy of the gold-medal game at last summer’s EuroBasket to eventual champion Spain.