AFTER receiving widespread attention from basketball communities around the world, the Gilas Pilipinas is ready to challenge Brazil in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) semifinals in Riga, Latvia.
Gilas is now in the final stages of their pursuit for the lone ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics. The nationals will face Brazil, ranked No. 12 in the world, who are expected to be one of their hardest opponents thus far.
Since their first match in international events in 1952, the Philippines has never had the opportunity to beat Brazil. This is why another historic victory tonight would be huge for the country.
Aside from the potential historic win, this would advance them to the FIBA OQT 2024 Riga Final, where they would have the opportunity to compete and maybe clinch a ticket to the Paris Olympics.
Many people expected Brazil to win Group B of the OQT in Riga, but not as many as those who predicted the Philippines would fail to qualify for the Semi-Finals and lose to Latvia.
What can we expect when these two groups unfamiliar with one other’s systems meet in the semi-finals tonight at 8:30PM (PH Time)?
What to expect?
Brazil, rated 12th in the world, has dominated the competition. They defeated Nikola Vucevic-led Montenegro 81-72 in their first assignment, but fell short against Cameroon 74-77.
Photo Courtesy: FIBA
Former and present NBA players led the way for Brazil. Some of them include Gui Santos, Cristiano Felicio, Marcelinho Huertas, and their big guy, Bruno Caboclo who’s averaging 17.5 points per game.
“We not only need to forget this game mentally and also prepare ourselves, but we need to get the message to the floor on what we need to do if we would like to beat the Philippines,” said Brazil coach Aleksandar Petrovic.
This came after their shorthanded comeback against Cameroon, which nearly eliminated them after trailing by as much as 24 points at one point in the game.
On the other hand, Justin Brownlee has been the key contributor for Gilas, not just on offensively but also on defense. The naturalized Pinoy has been as efficient as possible throughout the campaign.
Photo Courtesy: FIBA
Aside from him, the Philippine squad has been shooting exceptionally well throughout the competition, with 51.2% from beyond the arc. Many thanks to Dwight Ramos, CJ Perez, and, of course, Brownlee.
The heart and soul of Gilas, however, is their defense, which allowed them to rally from a 20-point deficit against Georgia. “I just really wanna compliment our guys,” said Tim Cone.
“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.”
The only problem for Gilas Pilipinas is that they are a bit smaller than the Brazilians. Will Gilas be able to hold up after Kai Sotto was injured in their previous game against Georgia when Goga Bitadze landed on him?
Is Kai Sotto available?
Kai Sotto made every effort to attend their practice before meeting Brazil tonight, despite leaving the game early the night before. However, he is still in severe pain, particularly around the rib area.
“Pa-side ako nahulog tapos ‘di ko siya nakita. Nung nabagsakan niya ako parang may nag-click sa kanang rib ko, tas di ako makahinga ng maayos for ilang seconds,” shared Sotto, on what happened during his hard fall after an and-one play.
“So nilalagyan siya ng patch, tapos kanina para akong mummy, ang dami tape para lang maka-practice ako. I mean, sobrang hirap kanina. Trina-try ko, hindi ako maka-explode, kahit pag-apak o pagtakbo masakit siya.”
Although his x-ray revealed no damaged ribs, the impact of his fall, along with the weight of another player landing on him, may have caused the spasms he’s currently experiencing.
As of now, the 7-foot-2 center remains a game-time decision for the team. Sotto, on the other hand, is hoping for a “miracle” in which he is cleared to play against Brazil, given his size.
Cone and his Gilas lads are poised to beat the odds yet again, when they face with Brazil at 8:30PM, while Latvia and Cameroon will settle their own semi-final clash early Sunday morning, 12:00AM.
The winners of each semi-final knockout game will square off in the OQT finals on Monday at 12:00AM, with the winner advancing as the lone team to be sent to the 2024 Paris Olympics.
