Gilas advances to semis despite 2-point loss to Georgia
Despite a close loss to Georgia by a narrow margin of 96-94, Gilas Pilipinas showcased their resilience and determination, securing a spot in the semifinals of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The Filipinos, who had played back-to-back games in less than 24 hours, managed to claim the number 2 position in Group A, with Latvia taking the top seed.
Heading into the game, the 23rd ranked Georgia needed a 19-point victory over Gilas to advance to the next round. With a surprising 16-0 lead early on and a 40-20 advantage in the second quarter, it seemed like Georgia was on track to achieve this feat.
However, the Philippine national team refused to back down, staging an impressive comeback to even the score at 74-all by the end of the third quarter.
“We’ve been saying, ‘it’s the first time I felt good about losing,'” said Gilas coach Tim Cone during the post-game presser. “I just really wanna complement our guys. They were down 20 and it could’ve been an easy panic time but they worked their way back into the game.”
“Right into the fourth quarter, I guess we were tied or something like that, but we were down 20 at various points of the game. One little streak here and there, we could’ve gone down 20,” he added.
Justin Brownlee emerged as a key player, scoring 28 points, grabbing eight rebounds, and dishing out eight assists.
Dwight Ramos contributed 16 points, while CJ Perez made a significant impact off the bench with 14 points, including a crucial scoring spree in the final minutes. Carl Tamayo also stepped up, adding seven points with perfect shooting accuracy.
Unfortunately, the game took a toll on Kai Sotto, who suffered a rib injury in a collision during the second quarter and had to be taken to the hospital for further evaluation. Despite this setback, Gilas Pilipinas fought valiantly and now awaits their potential opponents in the semifinals among Brazil, Montenegro, or Cameroon.
On the other side, Georgia was led by NBA players Alexander Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze, who scored 26 and 21 points respectively. Mamukelashvili, representing the San Antonio Spurs, showcased his long-range shooting skills by going 5-of-9 from beyond the arc.
The scores:
Georgia 96 – Mamukelashvili 26, Bitadze 21, Shengelia 17, Thomasson 14, Sanadze 13, Andronikashvili 5, Jintcharadze 0, Korsantia 0, Ochkhikidze 0, Londaridze 0.
Philippines 94 – Brownlee 28, Ramos 16, Perez 14, Newsome 13, Tamayo 7, Fajardo 6, Sotto 4, Oftana 4, Aguilar 2, Quiambao 0.
Quarterscores: 28-17, 55-43, 74-74, 96-94.