Fiba OQT stint signals return of PH as a serious global force


The Filipinos certainly made heads turn in Latvia. — PHOTOS FROM FIBA.COM

Gilas Pilipinas may have lost its all-important match against Brazil in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia on Saturday, but the National Five, however, can now boast of something Philippine basketball wasn’t able to speak of for decades.

After a masterful conquest of world No. 6 Latvia on its home turf and a pair of plucky stands against the Georgian and Brazilian national sides backstopped by NBA-caliber talent, Gilas Pilipinas—years written off as a doormat on the global stage—proved that it belongs.

“It’s, kinda like a ‘now we know’ moment—[that] ‘Now, we know we can compete,’” national coach Tim Cone said on Saturday night, shortly after the 71-60 loss to the world No. 12 Cariocas who dashed Gilas’ dreams of returning to the Olympic Games in Paris.

Cone—like the millions following Gilas’ bid at home—would’ve wanted his crew to keep writing their improbable surprise story in Riga. But the Nationals had very few answers for the physical play of the enemy who also rediscovered their offensive groove just when the Filipinos lost theirs.

“They played us with a real physical brand of basketball,” he said of the South American powerhouse that advanced to face the Latvians in the finale on Sunday night.

“We were making tough shots in the first half and they were missing a lot of open shots. We knew that if we didn’t turn that around, it was going to get difficult for us in the second half,” Cone went on. “And we continued to [take] tough shots and they weren’t going in anymore. And then they started hitting open shots.

“I think we just kind of panicked a little bit. We started doing a lot of one-on-one, we weren’t moving the ball like we normally do. We just didn’t bring our best.”

Leaving a mark

The botched campaign will sting for a while for Gilas, but there is no denying the inevitable mark left by the squad led by Justin Brownlee, June Mar Fajardo, Dwight Ramos, and Chris Newsome.

“Of course, we want to get to the Olympics. It was the ultimate goal,” Newsome said. “But again, this is another stepping stone for us as a program to try to improve and continue to get better. You know, there’s a lot of positives that you can take away from this trip, from this tournament.”

“[I’m] definitely not happy,” said Brownlee. “[I’m] grateful for the opportunity, though. It’s been an honor to come here, to this country, and be able to showcase Filipino basketball and I want to thank Latvia for that.”

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, who was with the contingent throughout the tournament, was among those ecstatic to see how Cone’s intrepid charges fared in its first two outings. Expectedly, he was just as devastated to see the run end on Saturday.

But Panlilio, who knows a thing or two about fighting through adversity having conquered cancer himself, knows that Gilas’ latest setback could very well be a fortuitous setup for a comeback.

“Like in anything—like in life and the corporate world—you learn from adversity and hopefully come out stronger and better moving forward,” he told the Inquirer.

“We understood the goal and set our sights on it—making the Paris Olympics if we can. [The] longer term is to compete in the Fiba Asia Cup, come out as the top team, qualify for the World Cup in 2027, and be the best Asian team that also qualifies us to [the Los Angeles] Olympics.



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“It’s a long-term plan we have embarked on. But each tournament is a building block to the next,” he added. INQ

Romualdez praises Gilas Pilipinas after Fiba OQT campaign


Gilas Pilipinas ends its Fiba OQT run and dreams of making it to the Paris Olympics with a loss to Brazil in the semifinals. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Martin Romualdez expressed admiration for Gilas Pilipinas for demonstrating “unparalleled determination, skill and heart” despite losing to Brazil in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.

“The journey of Gilas Pilipinas in this tournament has been nothing short of inspirational. Their victory against Latvia, a European team, was a historic moment for Philippine basketball and a testament to the team’s resilience and capability,” Romualdez said in a statement on Sunday.

READ: Marcos proud of Gilas despite loss to Brazil

“Although our bid for the Olympics ended, our players have proven their mettle by going toe-to-toe with world-class athletes and making every Filipino proud,” he added.

Gilas Pilipinas’ dream of reaching the Paris Olympics ended after a 71-60 loss to world No. 12 Brazil in the semifinals of the Fiba OQT.

Romualdez also commended Gilas coach Tim Cone and his coaching staff “for their exemplary leadership and dedication.”

READ: Tim Cone on Gilas’ Fiba OQT campaign: Now we know we can compete

“Their guidance and strategies have been pivotal in the team’s performance, bringing out the best in our players and instilling a sense of pride and confidence. The discipline and hard work that went into each game are truly commendable,” the lawmaker said.

“To the players of Gilas Pilipinas, your courage, sportsmanship, and passion have inspired countless Filipinos. You have shown heart and determination. Your journey has sparked a renewed sense of hope and pride in our nation, and for that, we are eternally grateful,” he added.

Aside from Romualdez, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also congratulated the team.

“It was a great fight, Gilas Pilipinas! You have made us Filipinos proud and made history! We will always stand behind you in support. Bida ang bayaning manlalaro! ” Marcos said in a social media post.



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Gilas boys finish last in Fiba U17 World Cup


Australia’s Dash Daniels, middle, tries to score against Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba U17 World Cup in Turkey.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas boys wound up in last place after a dreadful campaign in the Fiba Under-17 World Cup.

Gilas placed 16th following a 115-53 beating at the hands of Australia in the classification match on Sunday (Manila time) at Ahmet Comert Sports Hall in Istanbul, Turkey.

The young Nationals scored the game’s first points but the match quickly went away from them, trailing 31-16, after the opening period.

READ: Gilas boys lose to USA by 96, bow out of Fiba U17 World Cup

Gilas, which was coming off a 19-point loss to China on Saturday, never recovered and saw the deficit balloon to as many as 62 points. The Filipinos shot just 30 percent from the field, including 5-of-34 from long distance.

Edryn Morales posted 17 points and nine rebounds for Gilas, which sorely missed the services of its main man Kieffer Alas. Alas was ruled out of the tournament due to a knee injury.

Dash Daniels paced the Australians with 28 points, four rebounds and four assists while Nash Walker contributed 18 points.

Australia, which shot 59 percent from the field and knocked down 16 3-pointers, also drew a near-double-double effort from Joel Robinson, who tallied 11 points and nine boards.

It marked the first time Gilas finished dead last at 16th in the U17 World Cup since its qualification in 2014. The Philippines finished 15th in 2014 and 13th in 2018.



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Gilas struggles against Brazil defense in Fiba OQT loss


Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee tries to work his way around Brazil’s defense during the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) semifinal.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Brazil turned to its stifling defense to end Gilas Pilipinas’ Olympic dream in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Saturday (Manila time) in Riga, Latvia.

Except for a slow start that saw them trail by double-digits early, the Brazilians were able to limit Gilas’ offense en route to a 71-60 win.

“We can be proud [with] how we cut every single triangle game from the Philippines,” said Brazil coach Aleksander Petrovic after steering his squad to the OQT final where a spot in the Paris Olympics is at stake.

READ: Gilas’ Olympic dream ends, bows out of Fiba OQT with loss to Brazil

“We cut them everything. They stayed 31 points below what they averaged in their first two games. We cut the percentage of the shots. When the Philippines scores 60 points, in my opinion, we did a huge job.”

Brazil held Gilas to its worst scoring game in the tournament after the Filipinos put up 89 points against Latvia and 94 against Georgia.

The Philippines had to bleed for points, converting just 38 percent of its field goal attempts.

More importantly for Brazil, it managed to slow down Gilas’ main weapon in Justin Brownlee.

READ: Gilas’ Justin Brownlee savors first Fiba OQT experience

After averaging 27 points on 53 percent shooting from the field, Brownlee struggled against Brazil, finishing with 15 points on 5/16 shooting from the field.

“We had to cut his percentage to below 48% because he was shooting the ball pretty well,” said Brazil guard Georginho De Paula.

“Wherever he goes, we were there. I think we did a great job,” added De Paula.

Brazil meets Latvia in the final on Monday.



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Gilas’ Justin Brownlee savors first Fiba OQT experience


Gilas Pilipinas forward Justin Brownlee during a game against Brazil in the Fiba OQT semifinal in Riga, Latvia.–FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas may not have punched its ticket to the Paris Olympics after bowing out of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament semifinal at the hands of Brazil but Justin Brownlee still took something positive at the end of their campaign.

After all, the experience allowed Brownlee to test his mettle against some of the world’s best teams in his first time playing in the OQT. And that alone was a reason for the naturalized forward to be proud of.

“I haven’t had too many opportunities like this. This is actually my first opportunity as far as playing in the Olympic Qualifiers. As a team, we’re going to just take these experiences and just try to move forward and get better,” Brownlee said in an interview with BasketNews.

READ: Tim Cone on Gilas’ Fiba OQT campaign: Now we know we can compete

“Coming in and playing in hostile environments, playing against Latvia, was a great experience with their crowd and how they are supporting their team.”

Facing a tall order heading into the qualifiers, Gilas–led by Brownlee–came just two wins short of fulfilling its Olympic dream after losing to Brazil, 71-60, at Arena Riga in Latvia Saturday night (Manila time).

Brownlee tallied 15 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one steal and a block to lead Gilas against Brazil, which had to overcome an early double-digit deficit.

The 36-year-old Brownlee ended his OQT stint as the leading scorer in Group A, averaging 23 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.3 assists. His best game came against world No. 6 Latvia, powering Gilas’ impressive 89-80 victory with 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.

READ: NBA teams that passed up on Brownlee have given PH valuable gift

But as Gilas’ naturalized player, Brownlee couldn’t avoid being compared to Jordan Clarkson, who played the same role as the longtime Ginebra import back by reinforcing the Philippine team in the Fiba World Cup in Manila.

The comparisons to the NBA star, however, don’t seem to bother Brownlee.

“I just try to play my game,” said a confident Brownlee.

“Clarkson is an incredible player; he’s killing [it] in the NBA. I’ve been a fan of him. I’ve seen him in the World Cup games. He’s an incredible player, but me myself, I just try to play my game and try to do the best I can.”



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Gilas’ Olympic bid ends, bows out of Fiba OQT with loss to Brazil


Gilas Pilipinas’ June Mar Fajardo against two Brazil defenders during the Fiba OQT semifinals game in Riga, Latvia. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas saw its dream to make it to the Paris Olympics end on Saturday night after losing to world No. 12  Brazil, 71-60, in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.

A third-quarter meltdown for Gilas Pilipinas spelled the end after the Filipinos allowed Brazil to go on a crippling 24-6 run that erased whatever strong start they had to the game.

It was all Brazil from that point with its star Bruno Caboclo catching fire and fueling his team’s push for the Summer Games. Caboclo, who played for several NBA teams, finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds.

LIVE UPDATES: Gilas Pilipinas vs Brazil Fiba OQT semifinals July 6

Justin Brownlee, who averaged 27 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the group phase for Gilas, just couldn’t find his usual shots and was limited to just 15 points–all but three in the first two quarters.

Brownlee only found his mark again with 4:11 left to play after he picked up his fourth foul. He made a crucial 3-pointer that put Gilas within a realistic distance to make a last-ditch rally, 61-49.

Brazil, though, quickly responded with a 6-2 run making sure the Filipinos don’t get anything going.

After leading by as many as 12 in the first half, the Filipinos suddenly hit a wall in the third quarter while the Brazilians found their rhythm and quickly wrested the momentum.

Gilas Pilipinas went scoreless for more than six minutes into the third quarter.

June Mar Fajardo and

Despite the semifinal exit, Gilas Pilipinas still turned heads in Riga after stunning world No.6 and host Latvia and eliminating No.23 Georgia in the group phase.



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Brazil braces for ‘highly technical’ Gilas in Fiba OQT semifinals


Coach Aleksandar Petrovic and Brazil face Gilas Pilipinas in the Fiba OQT semifinals in Riga, Latvia. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines–Brazil knows the caliber of the Gilas Pilipinas team that stands in the way of its goal to qualify for the Paris Olympics.

Brazil and the Philippines square off in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, the penultimate roadblock to securing one of the remaining spots for the Paris Summer Games.

Game time is at 8:30 pm with a victory sending either team into the Fiba OQT Final against either Latvia or Cameroon.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

Coach Aleksandar Petrovic characterized fellow coach Tim Cone and the Filipinos, who have so far surprised the tournament–and themselves, as a “highly technical” team and he knows his team will have its hands full trying to contain them.

“The Philippines is a completely different team to [Cameroon]. It’s a highly technical team with excellent players who play one-on-one, four or five of them play more than 33 minutes,” said Petrovic after Brazil lost to Cameroon early Friday but still wound up as the top team in Group B.

Gilas Pilipinas tim cone latvia Philippines Fiba OQT schedule

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

Gilas Pilipinas will lean on its trusty hero Justin Brownlee against the world No. 12, while the Brazilians tout several NBA talents led by their main man Bruno Caboclo.

READ: Gilas faces Brazil with Paris Olympics just two wins away

But the lack of winning history and the disparity in the world rankings shouldn’t faze Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas, who have shown they have what it takes to beat higher-ranked teams after upsetting world No. 6 Latvia and eliminating No. 23 Georgia just a few days ago.

The Philippines has never beaten Brazil in any of their meetings in the 20th century between the 1950s to the 1970s. The last time these two teams faced off was in the semifinals of the 1978 World Championship for Men.

Saturday’s game will be an entirely different story for both sides.

“We are two games away from our dream so we need to forget who is not anymore with us. We need to find our energy, we need to find a way how to beat Philippines,” said Petrovic.



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Gilas falls short vs Georgia, but still headed to Fiba OQT semis


Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game against Georgia to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas overcame a horrendous start before settling for a 96-94 loss at the hands of Georgia and still locking a semifinal spot in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OTQ) in Riga, Latvia.

Gilas trailed by as many as 20 points before closing the gap on the world No. 23 Georgia, which needed to win by 19 points to eliminate the Philippines and join host Latvia in the crossover knockout phase.

The Nationals will face either Brazil or Cameroon in the final phase, with Gilas now just two wins away from a historic return to the Summer Olympic Games.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

“We got this stop done and now we’ve got another step to take. And I think that’s where the focus is and hopefully where the focus is of our guys,” national coach Tim Cone said of the next phase.

Justin Brownlee finished with 28 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Gilas once again at Arena Riga on Thursday.

Dwight Ramos and CJ Perez chipped in 16 and 14 points, respectively, while Chris Newsome had 13 as the Filipinos reaped the benefits of beating World No. 6 Latvia less than 24 hours ago at the same venue.

READ: Gilas Fiba OQT win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone’s triangle offense

“We were down 20 at various points of the game and one little streak here or there we could’ve been down 30 and we’re going home and using those flight tickets we have for tomorrow,” said Cone with a chuckle. “But they really showed their resilience.”

“We’ve been saying, it’s the first time we’ve felt good about losing,” he added.

Filipino fans at Arena Riga cheering for Gilas Pilipinas against Georgia.

Filipino fans at Arena Riga cheering for Gilas Pilipinas against Georgia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

The Georgians, anchored by NBA big men Sandro Mamukelashvili and Goga Bitadze, looked on track for a semifinal berth thanks to a blistering 16-0 start built on pinpoint shooting.

They pushed the lead to as big as 40-20 in the second quarter before Brownlee and June Mar Fajardo, who finished with six points and six rebounds, kept the Nationals within striking distance before halftime.

READ: Gilas’ Justin Brownlee ‘Michael Jordan of PH basketball’

Georgia fumbled its chance to take full control in the third period when it had no answer against cutthroat fightback led by Perez and youngster Carl Tamayo, who chipped in seven in the surge including the 3 that tied the game at 70.

Already down to 11 men before flying to Riga, the Philippines managed to do well despite not having center Kai Sotto for most of the game after he hurt his right rib in the first half.

“We’ve lost Kai early and never got him back in the game. He’s in the hospital checking out his rib whether that’s an x-ray, we have no news on that yet how far or whether he’ll go forward. But the fact is we lost him but still fought our way back into the game,” said Cone.

Georgia found itself in a bind in the semifinals hunt following an 83-55 beatdown at the hands of Latvia two days ago.

The semifinal games in Riga are scheduled for Saturday.

The Scores:

Georgia 96 – Mamukelashvili 26, Bitadze 21, Shengelia 17, Thomasson 14, Sanadze 13, Andronikashvili 5, Ochkhikidze 0, Londaridze 0, Korsantia 0, Jintcharadze 0.

Philippines 94 – Brownlee 28, Ramos 16, Pere, 14, Newsome 13, Tamayo 7, Fajardo 6, Sotto 4, Oftana 4, Aguilar 2, Quiambao 0, Amos 0.

Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4


Gilas Pilipinas Fiba OQT group phase schedule July 4

Riga, Latvia

8:30pm– Philippines-Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia

FULL FIBA OQT RIGA SCHEDULE HERE.

Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone’s triangle offense

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

MANILA, Philippines — In an era where the three-point has become one of the major weapons in basketball, Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone continues to prove that triangle offense can still work even on the world stage, which is now dominated by fast-paced plays.

Cone’s signature offensive scheme worked wonders to stun World No.6 and host Latvia, 89-80, to open Gilas’ Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign with high hopes on early Thursday morning (Manila time) in Riga.

Some may call the triangle offense outdated in today’s era of basketball reliant on sprawlball — a term coined by NBA analyst Kirk Goldsberry for the current dominance of the three-point shot — the 66-year-old Cone said he will live and die with the system innovated by Tex Winter and popularized by NBA multi-titled coach Phil Jackson with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. FULL STORY

Jordan Clarkson reacts to Gilas’ big win in Fiba OTQ

Gilas Pilipinas player Jordan Clarkson from the Utah Jazz in the NBA reacted to the Philippines’ win over Latvia on Thursday. Clarkson was Gilas’ naturalized player for the Fiba World Cup last year.

Tim Cone says Gilas win over Latvia ‘means a lot to fans back home’

Gilas Pilipinas tim cone latvia Philippines Fiba OQT schedule

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a Fiba OQT Riga game against world No. 6 Latvia. –FIBA BASKETBALL

MANILA, Philippines — Even Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone was shocked with how his team pulled off a massive upset against world No.6 Latvia in the opener of their Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) campaign.

Gilas Pilipinas, led by Justin Brownlee and big men June Mar Fajardo and Kai Sotto, never wavered against one of the world’s best teams as it stunned Latvia with a wire-to-wire 89-80 win in front of the massive home crowd on Thursday (Manila Time) in Riga. FULL STORY

Gilas’ Justin Brownlee ‘Michael Jordan of PH basketball,’ says Kai Sotto

Justin Brownlee Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid schedule

Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Kai Sotto was all praise for Justin Brownlee, who once again played the hero for Gilas Pilipinas in its 89-80 shocker of world No. 6 and host Latvia in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) on Thursday.

Sotto even went on to say that his naturalized teammate is the “Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball.”

Brownlee, also the hero in the Gilas’ historic gold medal run in the Asian Games last year, scored six straight points highlighted with a four-point play to give the visitors an 85-71 with over three minutes left. FULL STORY

Philippines wakes up to result of Gilas’ first OQT game

Justin Brownlee Gilas Pilipinas Fiba OQT Paris Olympics basketball

Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

National coach Tim Cone has made one thing clear months before the tall order Gilas Pilipinas needs to hurdle in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Latvia.

“I’m a big believer that there are always really hard things to do. But nothing’s impossible,” he had told the Inquirer.

The architect behind last year’s golden romp in the Asian Games in China put that mantra to the test once again on Thursday morning in Manila, when the Philippines wakes up to the result of its National squad opening its OQT stint against Latvia and its home crowd at Arena Riga. FULL STORY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uqxnLs35-30

Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas pounced on Latvia’s early shooting woes and played with steely nerves down the stretch to topple World No. 6 and host Latvia, 89-80, in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) on Thursday.

The No. 37-ranked Filipinos, overwhelming underdogs in the short meet at Arena Riga that will send a winner to the Paris Olympics, raced to an 8-0 start and built a sizable cushion that they never yielded until the final horn.

“I’m totally shocked to be sitting in front of you guys after winning this basketball game. This is not something we thought we were gonna do, I’ll be honest with you,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone after the game. FULL STORY



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Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid


Justin Brownlee leads Gilas Pilipinas’ rout of host Latvia to open the Filipinos’ Fiba OQT campaign. –FIBA PHOTO

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT in Riga, Latvia

Gilas Pilipinas pounced on Latvia’s early shooting woes and played with steely nerves down the stretch to topple World No. 6 and host Latvia, 89-80, in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) on Thursday.

The No. 37-ranked Filipinos, overwhelming underdogs in the short meet at Arena Riga that will send a winner to the Paris Olympics, raced to an 8-0 start and built a sizable cushion that they never yielded until the final horn.

“I’m totally shocked to be sitting in front of you guys after winning this basketball game. This is not something we thought we were gonna do, I’ll be honest with you,” said Gilas coach Tim Cone after the Philippines beat a European team for the first time in 64 years.

“We wanted to come in and compete and really put on a good show. We got started early. We hit shots early. And thankfully Latvia missed shots.”

Naturalized ace Justin Brownlee delivered a near triple-double of 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists, while young cornerstones Kai Sotto and Dwight Ramos tossed in 18 and 11 points, respectively, for a triumph that got Gilas’ campaign off to a rousing start.

READ: Tim Cone dismisses notion that Gilas not big, fast, strong enough

Barring a massive blowout at the hands of World No. 23 Georgia, the Philippines is on track to advance to the crossover knockout phase which could pit the Filipinos against Cameroon, Brazil or Montenegro.

Chris Newsome scored 10 points, including a couple of late baskets in the final period that kept the Latvians at bay with the results significantly shaking up the Group A race.

Gilas Pilipinas' Kai Sotto among the top performers against Latvia in the Fiba OQT.

Gilas Pilipinas’ Kai Sotto among the top performers against Latvia in the Fiba OQT. –FIBA BASKETBALL

The Latvians, having won 24 of their last 27 Fiba games, were projected to sweep the preliminaries, but struggled against a determined Gilas side and dropped to 1-1 in the OQT.

It also didn’t help the hosts that their outside shooting abandoned them just as the Filipinos hit theirs. Latvia was 10-for-42 while Gilas wound up 9-of-20 from deep.

“There were a couple of stretches, like Kai said, that we kind of lost our way a little bit but it seems like when Latvia was just about ready to make huge run at us, they would miss an open three-point shot,” Cone said.

“And that’s just one of those night for Latvia—they just won’t hit shots tonight.”

Rodions Kurucs and Rolands Smits joined hands for a last-ditch effort for the Latvians, but the Gilas cushion—which swelled to as big as 26 points—proved too big to overhaul.

READ: Tim Cone ‘not satisfied’ until Gilas reaches optimal FIBA OQT form

Kurucs had 18 points, Davis Bertans, Kristers Zoriks and Janis Strelnieks 10 each while Smits had 9 in the Latvian effort that left many in the home crowd in disbelief.

Gilas and Georgia tangle in 18 hours (8:30 p.m. Manila time) at the same venue.



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