Gordon Herbert's intense focus on the game against the USA left him unaware of Serbia's victory over Canada in the other FIBA World Cup semifinal.
Germany's national team head coach expressed pride in his squad for their victory over the USA in the FIBA World Cup 2023 semifinal, 113-111. However, he acknowledged that these players had a larger goal when arriving in Manila.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
26
|
| Daniel Theis | |
| Points | 21 |
| Accuracy | 10-15 |
| Rebounds | 7 |
| Assists | 2 |
"It's a special group. The way we played together and stuck together when things got tough... We have players who made huge plays," Gordon Herbert didn't extend about the game too much.
"One more to go. Enjoy this little bit tonight, and get ready for Sunday," his target is clear.
He said staying on the ground following this victory wouldn't be hard.
"As we talked in the locker after the game, that's a great win, but that's not where we want to be yet. This group of players who want to win gold," Herbert explained.
"One more to go. Let the players enjoy this tonight. But when we wake up, this is over. We're not feeling good about that. We've moved on. We're getting ready for Sunday," Herbert concluded.
When Herbert was asked about Serbia's victory over Canada in the other semifinal game, it was the first time the German team's head coach heard about the result.
"Did they beat Canada? Yeah, okay. I have no idea. I was focused on this 100%, so I haven't seen Serbia play."
In contrast to the USA, which initiated a new program with its 2023 team, Herbert started his project just last summer.
He takes great pride in the cohesive and strong group they have managed to build in such a relatively short span.
"We wanted guys to commit for three years. This is year two. We got together last year, and everybody showed up on time and came in shape. The same thing this summer," he said.
"Commitment is one thing, but before that, it is carrying," Herbert added. "And we have players who care about each other. They fight for each other. It's a special group with a lot of special players and even better human beings."
Germany
Slovenia
Latvia
USA
SerbiaRegarding the game, Herbert praised Andreas Obst, who became an X factor in this game by scoring a game-high 24 points.
"For me, Andy is one of the best shooters in FIBA. He can do more than just shoot. He can drive, he can make a play. But the biggest thing with Andy is that he makes space for Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder to play. Obviously, he had a huge game tonight. I think you've seen his evolution since the EuroBasket last year. He's more than a shooter, and he's becoming a good defender," Herbert recalled.
The Germany's head coach still sees a lot of room for improvement.
"I just thought we were really good offensively, but we have some work to do defensively. I didn't think we were physical enough. I didn't think our resistance was good enough. We gave up too many easy baskets. We made a couple of adjustments. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. I think it helped us in the third quarter. But credit to players who came out tough and got their defense better."
