Gilas Pilipinas after its recreation in opposition to Italy within the Fiba World Cup. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
The Dominican Republic held the door open ever so barely for Gilas Pilipinas to advance to the following spherical on Tuesday.
Italy slammed it shut.
This was how the Fiba World Cup second-round hopes ended for the Philippines: A 90-83 defeat to world No. 10 Italy that relegated the squad to the qualification section and additional dimmed the Filipinos’ probabilities of making it to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It was robust. We competed arduous and tried to determine issues out on the go,” stated Jordan Clarkson, who led the Philippines with 23 factors, seven rebounds and 6 assists.
A livid rally within the stretch ended up a hole struggle: Italy outscored the Philippines within the center intervals to take a 13-point lead into the fourth—precisely the margin of victory Gilas wanted to advance to the following spherical and lead the race amongst Asian groups for an outright ticket to the Summer time Video games.
“We did what we needed to do. It was not simple,” stated guard Marco Spissu, who had 13 factors and 9 assists for the Italians.
WATCH: Italy’s coach Gianmarco Pozzecco and Marco Spissu after win over Gilas Pilipinas. #FIBAWC | @MeloFuertesINQ pic.twitter.com/0s1U7mtNWQ
— INQUIRER Sports activities (@INQUIRERSports) August 29, 2023
A longtime rival program leads that Olympic race now after a dramatic victory final Sunday.
Japan’s rally from 18 all the way down to beat Finland, 98-88, allowed the Akatsuki to ease out entrance of the race for that Asian ticket to Paris.“[We’re] making an attempt to create a brand new customary right here for Japan basketball and that is undoubtedly an enormous step in the fitting course,” head coach Thomas Hovasse stated shortly after the victory.
The Japanese misplaced to Australia, 109-89, additionally on Tuesday, which means all Asian groups will probably slide to the classification spherical. After taking a three-point lead on the finish of the primary quarter, the Filipinos did not sustain with the Italian onslaught within the second and third intervals. The loss got here after dropping two winnable video games in opposition to the Dominican Republic and Angola.
Italy’s predominant man Simone Fontecchio within the Fiba World Cup. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
Gilas now must win its two matches within the classification section to have a shot at an outright Olympic spot. In any other case, it must minimize a path to the glitzy French capital by the use of the Olympic Qualifying Match (OQT). And even that isn’t a free cross.
Gilas, who completed lifeless final within the earlier World Cup held in China, must keep away from ending within the backside 5 of this yr’s event to compete for the ultimate 4 berths that will probably be dangled within the OQT.
However the OQT will probably be participated in additionally by squads from powerhouse continents that can fail to clinch outright berths to the Olympics by way of this World Cup, making that highway to Paris a bit trickier. The Dominican Republic breathed hope into the Philippines marketing campaign on Tuesday with a 75-67 victory over Angola fueled by a robust fourth quarter.
“[We’re] simply tremendous excited to get the dub. Tremendous excited to make the nation proud. I do know lots of people didn’t anticipate us to do that however we anticipated ourselves to do it so I’m very glad that we get to shock the world and present the world what we’ve been engaged on,” stated NBA star Karl-Anthony Cities, who had eight factors and two rebounds.
And the Filipinos did profit from that chance opened by the Dominicans by leaping out to a 23-20 lead on the finish of the primary interval.
However Italy struck arduous within the second quarter to take management of the match. The Europeans led by as many as 18 earlier than a late run fueled by Clarkson narrowed the hole.“I gave all I may out of respect for the nation,” Clarkson, a Utah Jazz star within the NBA, stated.
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