Italy Shines in Domination of Gilas Pilipinas in FIBA World Cup.
August 29, 2023 – The hopes for a miraculous turnaround were dashed for Gilas Pilipinas as they faced a formidable Italy team in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. Despite the team’s best efforts, Italy’s hot shooting proved too much to handle, resulting in a 90-83 victory for the Azzurri.
In the previous games, Italy had struggled with their three-point shooting, only making 12 shots. However, in their matchup against Gilas Pilipinas, they found their rhythm and drained a total of 17 triples, leaving the hosts defenseless. Simone Fontecchio led the impressive shooting display with 18 points, including three three-pointers. Marco Spissu and Giampaolo Ricci also contributed significantly with four triples each, finishing with 14 and 13 points respectively.
Other key players for Italy were Stefano Tonut, Alessandro Pajola, and Nicol Melli who scored 13, 11, and 10 points respectively. With this crucial win, Italy secured their spot in the Round of 16, finishing second in Group A with a 2-1 record.
Despite facing an 18-point deficit early in the final quarter, Gilas Pilipinas put on a spirited fightback. They managed to cut the lead to just seven points, 81-88, with 1:43 remaining in the game. However, their efforts fell short, ultimately leaving the 11,821 fans in attendance heartbroken at the final buzzer.
Jordan Clarkson once again led the Filipino team with an all-around performance, contributing 23 points, seven rebounds, and six assists. Dwight Ramos also made a notable contribution with 14 points. RR Pogoy added nine points while Kiefer Ravena, AJ Edu, and Rhenz Abando all scored eight points each. Despite their best efforts, Gilas Pilipinas ended their first-round campaign with a disappointing 0-3 record in Group A.
However, there is still a glimmer of hope for Gilas Pilipinas’ Olympic bid, as both Japan and Lebanon failed to advance to the Top 16. Japan suffered a 109-89 loss to Australia, finishing with a 1-2 record in the group stage. Meanwhile, Lebanon ended the first round winless after a tough 85-79 defeat against France.
Gilas Pilipinas will now move on to the classification stage, where they will face the third-placed team in Group B. Their opponents could be China, South Sudan, or Puerto Rico – all fierce competitors in Asian basketball.
