JUST like its last game, Gilas Pilipinas tasted the lead, only to falter in the end.
The Philippine Men’s National Basketball Team called “Gilas” succumbed to its second straight defeat in Group A of the 2023 FIBA World Cup after losing to Angola, 70-80.
It looked like Gilas was on its way to notch its first win in the tourney after leading, 19-12 in the first canto. However, the team’s luck seemed to have changed as Angola gained the upper hand at halftime, 36-33, despite the locals putting up an 11-point lead in the second quarter.
Gilas was trailing by 15 points in the last quarter but managed to put up a brave fight back to cut the lead to just five points, 68-73.
But a dagger clutch trey by Gerson Domingos from the right corner spelled doom for the embattled Filipinos.
As expected, Jordan Clarkson shone the brightest for the locals where he topscored with 21 points, matched by three rebounds and seven dimes, while AJ Edu contributed nine points and 6 boards.
With the loss, the Philippines is at the bottom of the cellar of Group A but may still have a slim chance of entering the next round, provided it beats Italy, the world’s number 10 team, and Angola loses to Dominican Republic.
(MAIN PHOTO: Screengrab from FIBA Facebook page)