Gilas Pilipinas huddles throughout a sport in opposition to the Dominican Republic within the Fiba World Cup. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
There’s a chaos of situations and permutations going via the minds of Gilas Pilipinas proper now—the group’s possibilities of grabbing the No. 2 spot in Group A, the issues that have to occur for passage to the subsequent spherical and the nation’s chase of an outright ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. Nationwide coach Chot Reyes desires to simplify the equation.
“The one factor that’s inside our management proper now’s the subsequent sport; we will’t fear in regards to the different issues which are occurring,” Reyes stated on Sunday night time after Gilas Pilipinas dropped to a 0-2 file following a heartbreaking 80-70 loss to Angola within the Fiba World Cup.
That subsequent sport isn’t going to be simple.
The Filipinos battle world No. 10 Italy on the lookout for an upset that may hold their hopes of going into the subsequent spherical—and staying within the footrace amongst Asian groups for a free ticket to Paris.
Gilas Pilipinas is on the backside of Group A, shedding to the 2 groups Reyes had singled out because the group’s greatest possibilities of nailing two victories.
The Dominican Republic leads Group A with a 2-0 file with Italy and Angola glued collectively at 1-1.
The Philippines and Italy battle at 8 p.m. on Tuesday at Good Araneta Coliseum and Reyes’ hopes of advancing as Group A’s second placer hinges on that upset—after which some.
Gilas Pilipinas additionally has to win by no less than 13 factors.
And the Dominican Republic additionally has to beat Angola in an earlier sport on Tuesday.
And in the event you throw within the Philippines’ hopes of flying to the glamorous French capital to compete within the Summer time Video games, then Japan has to lose its final sport in Okinawa and all different Asian squads must log only one win to maintain the race an open one.
“We hope Japan loses its final sport and we win ours then it’s all tied,” stated Reyes after the Japanese turned the primary Asian group to log a victory by way of an enormous upset of Finland. “I don’t understand how they’re going to interrupt that tie however ultimately it’s going to be depending on the opposite video games, it’s not going to be on our fingers.”
A should win
Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
It’s so much to think about and Reyes would moderately not cope with it first.
“No matter’s taking place with the opposite groups is just not inside our management,” Reyes stated.
And the remainder of the group appears undaunted with the controllable job at hand.
“We’re nonetheless going to struggle as a result of there’s a sport left. We’re not giving up,” stated guard RR Pogoy, who had eight factors within the loss to Angola.
“We simply must win, win the subsequent one,” Jordan Clarkson stated after producing 21 factors and 7 assists for the night time. “We simply have to determine Italy. We all know they’re a superb group. We simply must go on the market and get one.”
As with the loss to the Dominican Republic, Gilas Pilipinas once more dedicated essential turnovers and surrendered a number of offensive rebounds in opposition to Angola. And paired with poor three-point taking pictures plus the Africans’ well timed hits from past the arc, doom descended on what began out as a promising sport for the Filipinos.
“We fell quick,” Pogoy stated of the Philippines, who led by 11 within the second quarter. “Then they hit essential three-pointers. They beat us in offensive rebounds. We’ll have a look at the video and assess how we misplaced.”
“We deal with what’s inside our fingers so there’s a sport to be performed on Tuesday. We’re going to return out and put together as greatest we will to play a top-10 group [in] Italy. That’s all we [are] gonna do proper now,” Reyes stated.
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