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.