MANILA – Serbia continued to exert its might in the FIBA World Cup, dealing Puerto Rico a 94-77 beating on Monday night at Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City.

Serbia dominated in the first half, taking a 57-27 lead against sloppy Puerto Rico.

Puerto Rico somehow made things interesting in the second half, outscoring Serbia, 31-18, in the third quarter to cut the lead down to 17, 75-58, entering the fourth.

Puerto Rico even came to within 10, 71-81, midway through the fourth period, but a 13-2 Serbia run put an end to the upset bid.

Bogdan Bogdanovic and Nikola Jovic had 17 points for Serbia, which will eye a sweep Group B play against South Sudan on Wednesday.

Isaiah Pineiro led Puerto Rico, which fell to 1-1, with 14 points, one assist and one steal.

Meanwhile, the United States of America (USA) made quick work of Greece en route to a 109-81 win at Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

After another slow start, Team USA got into the groove late in the first quarter and eventually pulled away for good.

Austin Reaves became the first Team USA player to score 15 points, five rebounds and five assists in the FIBA World Cup since 2010.

Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards each added 13 points for Team USA, which moved up to 2-0 in Group C.

Georgios Papagiannis tallied 17 points, three rebounds, two assists and one block for Greece (1-1). (PNA)

MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas went down fighting, 70-80, at the hands of a heftier and sweet shooting Angola side, absorbing in the process its second straight loss in the 2023 FIBA World Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City on Sunday.

The Nationals were in the thick of things in the first half where they only trailed by three points, 33-36, at halftime.

They even pulled even at 45-all 4:15 left in the third canto and were even a point adrift at 52-53 before all hell broke loose in favor of the Angolans.

Angola needed but three successive treys that pushed them ahead by 11 points at 66-55 into the final six minutes of play before mounting its biggest lead at 16 points, 73-57.

Gilas tried to turn the game around by dropping a 10-0 blast capped by two free throws from Kai Sotto.

The 10-0 run pulled Gilas Pilipinas threateningly close at five, 68-73. a minute left in the ball game.

However, this proved as the Nationals last stand as Angola found the range anew by dropping yet another three-point dagger courtesy of pointguard Gerson Da Silva Domingos that gave Angola a comfortable eight point lead, 75-68, into the dying minutes of play.

Yet again, the next assignment for Gilas Pilipinas could even be a much fiercer opponent.

The Nationals will be facing World No. 10 Italy on Tuesday, 29th of August 2023.

Italy is expected to go all out after absorbing an upset loss at the hands of the Dominican Republic, 87-82, in their Group A clash earlier in the day.

The Dominican Republic now sports a 2-0 win-loss record in Group A while Italy slid to 1-1 in a share of the second spot with Angola.

In what could be a do-or-die clash for a spot in the next round, Italy’s mentor Luigi Datome said there will be no time to lament their loss to Dominican Republic as they need a quick turnaround against Gilas Pilipinas which is similarly determined to break the win column.

“Yes well, at this stage, you know, there’s no time for depression, no time for euphoria.” Datome said after the game.

“We’re old enough, everybody [already] went through important games, everybody played against [a] tough home court. [It’s] gonna be exciting, I think, [it’s] gonna be a nice atmosphere and all the players love to play in a nice atmosphere.” he added.

Just like against the Dominican Republic, where Italy clashed with Minnesota Timberwolves’ Karl-Anthony Towns, there will be an NBA-caliber challenge when they face the Philippines in the form of Jordan Clarkson.

While Datome said there will be an emphasis on stopping the Utah Jazz guard, they also will not be caught over defending him, with the rest of the team also capable of hurting the Italians.

“Of course, the Philippines, like the Dominican Republic, have a single great player and all around them there’s a good team. So for sure, it’s very important to limit this player, you cannot stop them, they’re so good, you can only limit them with teamwork and [also] pay attention to the others because they are all good players,” he said.

“[We’ll] have a game plan, try to execute it, stick with it and at the end of the day, we try to do the same thing.”

Despite the loss, however, the Philippines is still in contention for a spot in the next round if the Nationals would manage to overcome Italy on Tuesday, August 29.

On the same day, the Dominican Republic faces Angola in their final group stage match also on Tuesday. (ai/mnm)

BOCAUE, Bulacan — Italy effectively defended against Angola, emerging with an 81-67 triumph in their FIBA World Cup opener at the Philippine Arena on Friday, August 25.

Despite being anticipated as the favored team to win, the Italians encountered difficulties in establishing a significant lead over the Angolans.

Italy even found themselves trailing by a margin of 2-9 during the initial quarter.

The Azurri made a resilient comeback and maintained control over the game, although Time Nacional managed to stay competitive as the match entered the fourth quarter with a score of 57-61.

In the final phase of the game, Italy finally found their momentum, limiting Angola to a mere 10 points while amassing 20 points themselves, ultimately securing victory in this Group A encounter.

Filipino band Ben and Ben performed at the Philippine Arena moments before Gilas Pilipinas face Dominican Republic.

Sarah Geronimo and The Dawn also made their performances in the opening ceremony of the World Cup.

As the Gilas Pilipinas-Dominican Republic match was starting to heat up, Filipino hoops fans were about to fill the capacity of the Philippine Arena that would break break the previous high of 32,616 fans set during the 1994 World Cup final between USA and Serbia in Toronto, Canada. (ai/mnm)

Enthusiastic supporters eagerly queued up at PITX in Paranaque, seizing the opportunity to secure a complimentary shuttle bus ride to the Philippine Arena in Bulacan. They are all set to witness the commencement of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 on Friday. Meanwhile, resourceful young entrepreneurs have seized the occasion to offer an array of souvenir items to fervent Gilas supporters at the bustling mega bus station in Parañaque City.

The highly anticipated 17-day global basketball event commences this Friday (25 August 2023), with the esteemed presence of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. anticipated at the inaugural ceremony in the expansive 55,000-seater PH Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

(BENJAMIN CUARESMA/AI/MNM)

Team USA arrives at NAIA (Photo courtesy of GMA Network)

Manila – The men’s basketball contingent from the United States has touched down in Manila, marking their presence for the highly anticipated FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 campaign.

With aspirations of redemption following a lackluster performance in the 2019 edition, where they clinched a modest seventh place, the American squad is primed for a fresh start.

Clustered in Group C, they share the spotlight with Jordan, Greece, and New Zealand. Their inaugural showdown is scheduled for August 26th at the Mall of Asia Arena against the Tall Blacks.

Currently seated at the world’s second ranking, the United States has assembled a relatively youthful roster for the FIBA World Cup, featuring seasoned players Josh Hart and Bobby Partis, each aged merely 28.

Included in their twelve-man selection are: Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Austin Reaves, Tyrese Haliburton, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr., Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, and Anthony Edwards.

Preliminary preparations culminated with an exhibition triumph against Germany, with Edwards’ 34-point contribution sealing a 99-91 victory.

Filipino-American coach Erik Spoelstra assumes a coaching role on the Team USA staff, under the guidance of head coach Steve Kerr.

Concurrently in Manila, national squads from Montenegro, Angola, Mexico, Egypt, the Dominican Republic, and Greece have also gathered.

Anticipated to join the fold on Tuesday are Puerto Rico, Italy, Serbia, and New Zealand. (ai/mnm)

MANILA – The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) World Cup 2023 will have all its referees trained and prepared to the utmost, as assured by a Pre-Competition Clinic (PCC) from Aug. 19 to 22 in Quezon City.

The training program hosted by Seda Hotel (morning sessions) and Victoria Sports Tower (afternoon sessions) will make sure that 44 game officials will be in tip-top shape and of sound mind with under a week to go before the world meet.

“Through our PCC, we hope that our referees will be equipped with everything they need to call games as correctly and fairly as possible,” FIBA Local Organizing Committee (LOC) Sports & Competition Head Eric Altamirano said in a news release on Friday.

FIBA Head of Refereeing Carl Jungerbrand and Refereeing Consultant Tomas Rimkus will join Altamirano in leading several seminars, drills, and practice games that aim to ready game officials both physically and mentally for the three-week long tournament featuring 32 teams.

After the four-day clinic, 11 referees will be assigned to each of the four venues: the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City/Philippine Arena in Bulacan (only for Opening Day), the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, the Okinawa Arena in Japan, and the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.

“I, along with the rest of the FIBA LOC, am looking forward to how our well-trained referees will help the FIBA World Cup 2023 go down in history as a record-breaking event,” Altamirano said.

Fans can be first-hand witnesses to the readiness of referees in the FIBA World Cup 2023 by availing of tickets for Smart Araneta Coliseum games at ticketnet.com.ph, as well as for SM Mall of Asia Arena games at smtickets.com.

3 female referees

For the first time in the history of the FIBA’s flagship event, three female referees, Amy Bonner, Blanca Burns and Jenna Reneau, have been nominated for the FIBA World Cup scheduled to tip off on Aug. 25.

The FIBA announced on Wednesday the selection of 44 referees who will be dispersed to various venues after a pre-competition camp in Manila to put the finishing touches on preparation for them.

The referees, with an average age of about 40, generally have more than 11 years of FIBA experience.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup will be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, marking the first time in history that the event is hosted by multiple countries. (with reports from Xinhua/PNA)

PHOTO CAPTION: (L-R) Erika Dy, Al S. Panlilio, and John Lucas

IT’S all systems go for the 2023 FIBA World Cup, with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al S. Panlilio beaming with confidence on the country’s hosting of the global hoops conclave.

“Everybody is ready to go. I’m hoping the best World Cup ever for FIBA in terms of not only showing the world that we can host a global event like this, but really the hospitality of the Filipino people, the smiles and generosity of our people. I’m sure they can feel that,” said Panlilio in the special edition of the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Meralco Conference Hall on Tuesday.

“The whole Local Organizing Committee (LOC) has been tireless when it comes to the World Cup preparations and I have full belief that we can provide a hosting like no other.”

At the same time, Panlilio mentioned about injured players Scottie Thompson and Kai Sotto now back in harness and already joined Gilas Pilipinas in the final phase of its preparations for the biggest basketball event for the year that kicks off on August 25.

“I was there the other night (Sunday practice), and everybody was there, the whole 16 players. Scottie is fit, it’s just a matter of getting back to the groove of playing. Kai also played. The doctors of Kai spoke yesterday (Monday) with the SBP doctors, and he’s been cleared to play. So that’s good news,” added the SBP chief in the same session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).

Panlilio was joined by SBP executive director Sonny Barrios, deputy event director Erika Dy, and joint management committee head John Lucas as they all expressed the country’s readiness for the event’s staging.

Sixteen of the top 32 basketball squads are heading to the country for the group stages, with the Philippines looking to set the new FIBA attendance record for the opening day Friday next week at the cavernous Philippine Arena.

The number to beat is 32,616 which was set during the finals of the 1994 FIBA World Championship in Toronto, Canada where the Shaquille O’Neal-lead USA cruised to the gold medal against Russia.

The Philippines could easily top that with the mammoth venue having a full capacity of 55,000, one that the organizers are hopeful to see when Gilas Pilipinas, bannered by Jordan Clarkson, opens its campaign against the Dominican Republic led by Karl Anthony Towns.

“We’re really primed to beat that record. We’re very close to the goal, but not yet there,” said Dy.

Mall of Asia Arena and Smart Araneta Coliseum will also house the other group stage games in the country, while co-hosts Japan and Indonesia will hold their own preliminaries before the final phase turns to the Pasay venue.

Aside from the star-studded USA team, among the NBA stars poised to see action in Manila are Bogdan Bogdanovic for Serbia and naturalized player Kyle Anderson for China.

Luka Doncic for Slovenia, NBA champion Jamal Murray and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for Canada, Juan Hernangomez for defending champion Spain, Lauri Markkanen (Finland), Rudy Gobert and Evan Fournier (France), Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner (Germany), and Josh Giddey and Patty Mills (Australia) have also committed to play for the World Cup and will vie for the crown.

Panlilio said members of the FIBA working staff are already in the country as pre-World Cup events will be held starting next week, beginning with a welcome dinner on Monday for the delegates of the different basketball federations who will be attending the FIBA National Congress set on Aug, 22 and 23 at the Sofitel Hotel.

On Aug. 23, the FIBA will be holding its Hall of Fame ceremony, where the country’s very own Caloy Loyzaga is going to be enshrined.

Panlilio also believes the LOC, in cooperation with the relevant government agencies, has done its part in putting up a premium hosting experience for the teams in those three weeks.

Basketball fans can also watch the action live on TV5, One Sports, and on Cignal’s brand new innovative OTT streaming app Pilipinas Live.

Games have yet to start, but Panlilio already is beaming on what the Philippines will offer for this tilt from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10.

“This early, we see this hosting as a success and it’s rooted from the cooperation that the government sector has extended to the LOC in making all of these possible,” he said. “We’ve left no stones unturned and it’s now the Philippines’ turn for the spotlight and we’re happy to welcome basketball home.” (ai/mnm)