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US beat Germany in final pre-olympic basketball game
Germany’s basketball world champions faced a narrow 92-88 defeat against the favored U.S. team on Monday, marking their final match before the Paris Olympics.
In a packed London arena watched by 19,177 fans, Germany held a three-point lead entering the final quarter but couldn’t maintain it against the star-studded U.S. squad.
NBA veteran LeBron James, 39, led the U.S. charge with 20 points, helping them avenge their loss to Germany in the World Cup semi-final last September.
Franz Wagner was the top scorer for Germany, contributing 18 points.
The U.S. team, widely expected to defend their title and claim Olympic gold, completed their warm-up schedule with a perfect record of five wins.
Germany, after securing bronze at the 2022 European Championships and a surprising World Cup victory in Manila last year, aims to continue their medal streak under national coach Gordon Herbert.
Their Olympic journey begins with a match against Japan on Saturday, while the U.S. faces World Cup runners-up Serbia in their tournament opener on Sunday.