PRE-GAME CELEBRATION. Dwight Ramos turns 25 and gets a birthday cake prior to the Philippines-China match at the FIBA Basketball World Cup Classification 17-32 Round at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Saturday (Sept. 2, 2023). The Philippines ended its campaign with a first win in five games, 96-75. (PNA photo by Avito C. Dalan)
Gilas Pilipinas secured an emphatic 21-point victory over China, clinching a spot in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) while marking a significant milestone in their FIBA Basketball World Cup journey. The resounding 96-75 triumph over China was witnessed by a crowd of 11,080 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Saturday night.
With this victory, the Philippines celebrated their first-ever FIBA World Cup home win, ending a long-standing drought dating back to 1978 and improving upon their initial 0-4 start in the 2023 campaign. Importantly, this win secured their place in the OQT for the following year as they finished second in Group M after a tiebreaker with Angola and China.
Gilas Pilipinas’ impressive performance guarantees them a finish no lower than 24th place, well within the top 27 cutoffs for teams headed to the OQT.
The win also served as a fitting farewell to Coach Chot Reyes, who hinted at his departure from the national team during the press conference. Reyes reflected, “I might have coached my last game already as Gilas Pilipinas coach. We didn’t perform, and like I said in the last game, I take full accountability, and because of that, I think it’s time for me to step aside. I hate to use the word resign because I’m not a quitter. I am not a quitter.”
The turning point of the game came in the third quarter when Jordan Clarkson erupted for 24 points, helping Gilas outscore China 34-11 and establish an insurmountable lead. Clarkson finished the game with an impressive 34 points, shooting 11-of-18 from the field, along with two rebounds, three assists, and one steal. Expressing his gratitude to the fans for their unwavering support, he stated, “We definitely wanted to get a win and go home with one at least. But yeah, they showed love the whole time, supported us, stayed behind us, so we kept continuing to fight.”
Rhenz Abando contributed 14 points, five rebounds, one assist, one steal, and one block for Gilas. On the other side, Kyle Anderson led China with 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and one steal, offering an apology to their fans for their performance.
In a separate development, Japan secured its place in the 2024 Paris Olympics after defeating Cape Verde with a score of 80-71 at Okinawa Arena. Japan’s victory was highlighted by a strong second-quarter performance, outscoring Cape Verde 33-18 and taking a 50-37 halftime lead. Despite a late surge from Cape Verde, Japan maintained their lead and ultimately sealed their qualification for the Paris Olympics. Josh Hawkinson led the charge for Japan with 29 points, seven rebounds, four assists, four blocks, and one steal. Japan will be making its second consecutive Olympic appearance, having emerged as the top Asian team in the World Cup with a 3-2 record. (ai/mnm)
