Gilas Pilipinas falls short of FIBA World Cup hopes with loss to Italy

Gilas Pilipinas dreams of advancing to the round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup was shattered after a 90-83 loss to a red-hot Italian team on Tuesday.

To have a chance of progressing to the next round, the Nationals needed to win by at least 12 points. However, they couldn’t overcome Italy’s shooting performance, as they drained 17 three-pointers during the game.

“Our team had a start, but Italy really turned it up in the half, and we struggled to keep up ” said Chot Reyes, head coach of Gilas Pilipinas.

“We had our opportunities. Unfortunately, we couldn’t convert when we needed it most.”

The Philippines came out strong. Enjoyed a lead with an advantage of three points in the first quarter.

However, Italy responded with a 17-0 run that turned things around and gave them control for the rest of the game. Italy extended their lead to as many as 20 points in the second half, while Gilas Pilipinas fought hard but could only narrow their deficit to six points in the fourth quarter.

“We knew Italy was a tough opponent, but their exceptional shooting caught us off guard ” stated Kiefer Ravena, guard, for Gilas Pilipinas.

“We simply couldn’t match their level of intensity.”

The Philippines concluded the tournament with a record of 1 win and 3 losses, while Italy’s record improved to 3 wins and 1 loss.

As a result, Gilas Pilipinas will now participate in the classification round for rankings between 17th and 32nd place, where they will still compete for a ticket into the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The first classification game for Gilas Pilipinas is scheduled for Thursday.

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