There are now only four teams who can clinch the gold in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Team USA, Canada, Germany, and Serbia have outlasted 28 other squads, and they will continue their journeys in hopes of bringing home the Naismith Trophy in the semifinals of the World Cup at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

USA

The Americans started their campaign by winning their first four assignments, defeating New Zealand, Greece, Jordan, and Montenegro, just before being tripped by Lithuania in Phase 2, 104-110. But the Americans bounced back big time after the loss, destroying Greece, 100-63, to book their Final 4 tickets.

After six games, Anthony Edwards has emerged as the team’s go-to-guy on the offensive end as he posted 17.3 points and 2.7 assists, while also putting up four rebounds and 1.2 steals.

Austin Reaves also showed how well acclimated he is to playing on Philippine soil, delivering 11 markers, three dimes and 2.5 boards, and their duo, alongside the rest of this young Team USA squad, will need all their experiences from their earlier games as they hope to reclaim the World Cup gold after failing to do so in 2014. But first, they will have to go through one of the toughest teams this year, Germany.

Germany

Another NBA talent-laden squad, Germany will look to take advantage of its first World Cup semifinal appearance since 2002.

Led by NBA veteran Dennis Schroder’s 18 points, 6.3 assists and two boards, Deutschland went on to win all of its six games up to the quarterfinals, defeating Japan, Australia, Finland, Georgia, Slovenia, and Latvia, and dominated its opponents with an average margin of 17.5 points, including a 29-point beatdown of the Luka Doncic-starred Slovenia in Round 2.

Brothers Franz and Moe Wagner, veteran Daniel Theis, Isaac Bonga and the whole German squad defeated hot-shooting Latvia in the quarterfinals in a thriller, and they are hoping to maintain the same composure as they face the Americans.

Canada

Meanwhile, another team in North America is also looking to take home the top prize in international basketball as Canada tries to continue their magical run at the FIBA World Cup.

Before entering their first-ever semifinals, Canada routed four of their first five opponents, romping over France, Lebanon and Latvia, while also eliminating defending champions Spain in Round 2 after falling short against Brazil.

In the game that allowed them to reach the semis, team star and 2023 First Team All-NBA member Shai Gilgeous-Alexander balled out with a personal tournament high of 31 points, 10 rebounds and four assists, a testament to how the Oklahoma City Thunder Star’s capabilities of leading the Canadians all the way to the gold.

Backed up by other fellow NBA standouts, RJ Barrett, Dillon Brooks, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Kelly Olynyk, Dwight Powell, and Lu Dort, alongside the rest of the squad, their combination of grit, talent, length, and athleticism will surely make wonders for their squad. However, it won’t be easy as they will face the rampaging Serbia.

Serbia

Having won five of their six games until the quarterfinals, getting past China, Puerto Rico, South Sudan, Italy, the Dominican Republic, and Lithuania, this Serbian squad has managed to maintain its efficient shooting from the court, converting on 55 percent of their shots from the field while also sinking 38 percent from beyond-the-arc, and maintaining these numbers will help Serbia attain its goal of reaching the finals.

Team star and captain Bogdan Bogdanovic, together with Nikola Jovic and Nikola Milutinov, will be gunning to continue their impressive play yet again, and they will need all the shooting that they can get as they face Canada.

Canada and Serbia are set to open the double-header semifinals at 4:45 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City, and it will be followed by the Team USA-Germany bout at 8:40 p.m.

The victors will be advancing to the World Cup finals on Sunday, September 10 at 8:40 p.m., while those who will endure defeat will be battling for third place on the same day at 4:30 p.m.

Both games are also set at the same Pasay venue. (ABS-CBN News)