The Philippines National Basketball team, Gilas Pilipinas, kicked off their FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign in dramatic fashion with an upset victory over host nation Latvia on Wednesday. The final score: 89-80.
This is Philippines first win against a European team in an official FIBA competition since 1960, snapping a 64-year winless streak. The victory comes despite the absence of NBA player Jordan Clarkson, highlighting the depth and resilience of the Gilas Pilipinas squad.
Gilas Pilipinas started the game on an 8-0 run, then Latvia made a run at 21-16, but Gilas ended the 1st quarter on a 11-0 run punctuated by a clutch buzzer-beater by CJ Perez.
CJ Perez hits this @TISSOT buzzer beater from waaaaaaaay downtown 😵#FIBAOQT
📺 https://t.co/ranzibgpnf
💻 https://t.co/7XnyzSmcc1 pic.twitter.com/LlrFIzfkQ3— FIBA (@FIBA) July 3, 2024
In the 2nd quarter, Latvia tried to make a run, but both teams managed to cancel each other out by scoring 22 points in the second period. In the second half, Latvia managed to make the game interesting by limiting Gilas to just 12 points in the final quarter. However, the 16-point lead that Gilas built in the first quarter proved too much for Latvia to overcome. The only consolation for the Latvian National Team is that they have already qualified for the semi-finals, unless Gilas wins by 28 points or more.
Justin Brownlee spearheaded Glias’ offense, scoring a game-high 26 points. He also contributed significantly with 9 rebounds and 9 assists, falling just one assist and rebound short of a coveted triple-double.
letsss goooo ‼️‼️❣️ https://t.co/u6JnvV1ZQm
— Jordan Clarkson (@JordanClarksons) July 3, 2024
Brownlee received a lot help from Kai Sotto chipping-in 18 points and 8 rebounds, and 12 points from Dwight Ramos adding 12 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Gilas Head coach Tim Cone expressed surprise at the result, but hopes the team will use this momentum for the rest of the tournament.
Gilas next opponent is Georgia, and a win is crucial for Gilas to progress to the semi-finals and a step closer to qualify for the Paris Olympics.
Game highlights
