The Philippines’ Men’s National Basketball Team, Gilas Pilipinas, is just two wins away from a historic 2024 Paris Olympics berth after bouncing back from a 20-point deficit in their game against Georgia.
Despite a close 94-96 loss, Gilas Pilipinas secured a Final Four spot at the International Basketball Federation Olympic Qualifying Tournament (FIBA OQT) in Arena Riga, Latvia.
Gilas reached the semifinal with a better points difference. They bested Latvia 89-80 in the first game and narrowly lost to Georgia. Georgia’s heavy loss to the home team, 83-55, also played a crucial role.
The Philippines (+7) and Latvia (+19) advance to the semifinals as the top two qualifiers from Group A.
Justin Brownlee, the back-to-back Player of the Game, led the Filipinos with 28 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists. More than his numbers, Brownlee’s immense contribution was bringing the team back in the game when it seemed the Paris Olympic dream was no longer attainable.
In the post-game presser, Brownlee said, “We feel great. We battled hard. The guys fought being down 17-18 points. We still didn’t lose our confidence. We’re excited to be here for sure. Overall I’m just excited to be in the Semi-Finals.”
WATCH the Philippines score baskets in their game against Georgia here:
Gilas Pilipinas had a superior 63.2 Field Goal percentage over Georgia’s 48.1 % at the @FIBA #FIBAOQT. The Philippine National Men’s Basketball Team was 67.7% at 2-point range, 56.5% at 3-pointers, and only lagged at free throws with 52.9% conversion.
Report via @GoodNewsPinas_ https://t.co/eyDQwucsel— Angie Quadra Balibay (@AngieQBalibay) July 5, 2024
Slow Start, Strong Finish
The Philippine team started slow, going scoreless in the first minutes of the game, 0-16, and went as far down by as much as 20 points in the 2nd – a scenario that Georgia wanted to keep as they needed to win by at least 19 points to bump off Gilas from the final four.
Things looked dismal for most of the first half as the Filipinos’ attempts to overturn the game kept failing. Compounding its woes, big man Kai Sotto was sidelined after an injury in the second quarter.
But the renowned Filipino resilience buoyed the team spirit as Gilas climbed up steadily to tie the game five times and even lead for the first time at 71-70 in the third.
The Gilas Pilipinas Men kept shooting and converting 13 of 23 from the three-point range and were even leading In the dying minutes of the game. Despite the 2-point loss, the team was victorious over Georgia and is advancing to the crossover semis to vie for the lone Olympic spot.
“We had our tickets to leave tomorrow, I guess we’re gonna have to move it back a little bit. That’s how surprised we are. It’s the first time I feel good about losing. It could have been an easy panic time when we were down 20, but they really showed their resilience,” shared Coach Tim Cone, architect of the team’s historic Asian Games victory.
Kai Sotto’s Injury Update
Kai Sotto was taken to the hospital for a rib injury. Reports indicate he could be healed after some rest and maybe ready to play in the semifinals.
WATCH the Game highlights here:
FIBA OQT Semi-Finals Schedule
The FIBA OQT Semi-Finals are scheduled on Saturday, July 6, at the Arena Riga.
July 6
- Brazil v Philippines – 15:30 Local Time (12:30 GMT, 8:30 PM PhST)
- Cameroon v Latvia -19:00 Local Time (17:00 GMT)
A victory over Brazil will send the Philippines to the Finals on Sunday for a do-or-die match against the winner of the Cameroon-Latvia game for the lone Olympic berth.
Here’s how to watch the game live:
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