GILAS Pilipinas continues to impress with a valiant effort against NBA-player-led Georgia, rising from a 20-point deficit but falling short, 94-96, in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

Following a dramatic upset against No. 6 rated Latvia just hours before their game, the Philippines was ready to face the task of finishing the elimination phase as the top-seeded team in their group. 

However, things didn’t go as planned, as Georgia came in running as they erected an early 16-0 lead over the national team. Gilas barely managed to score their first basket with less than 4:50 remaining in the first quarter.

From there, the nationals went on a 13-point run, thanks to triples by Justin Brownlee, Chris Newsome, and Dwight Ramos, as well as a tear drop from Kai Sotto. 

Georgia maintained a double-digit lead throughout the game, which reached 20 points at one point. Aside from facing a massive disadvantage, Gilas was dealt another setback when Sotto left the game early owing to a probable injury.

Tides turning

The story of the game shifted in the second half. Gilas Pilipinas rallied, tying the game with less than 3 minutes remaining in the third quarter thanks to a Carl Tamayo three. 

CJ Perez scored a remarkable 10-point run in the fourth quarter to bring Gilas within striking distance, 91-92. Just when they were making big shots, the opposing team replied with their own. 

With less than 45 seconds remaining in the game, the national team trailed by three. Some Gilas players also made questionable judgments in the early stages of the game.

For example, Kevin Quiambao’s fastbreak three-point shot, as well as two missed free throws, appeared to be off the mark and would only lead to a loss. 

However, here’s the tricky part: Gilas Pilipinas may have a different plan that is unfamiliar to the spectators and positioned themselves in an ideal situation before the buzzer sounded.

It’s a mathematical game

With a few seconds remaining, Gilas head coach Tim Cone devised a genius strategy: inbound the ball full court and force Georgia to commit a foul, sending the Filipinos to the free throw line. 

Newsome made the first basket but deliberately missed the second. Goga Bitadze then attempted to dunk it back in, but missed. Indeed, a problematic circumstance occurred. 

Photo Courtesy: FIBA 

But here’s an explanation. Gilas Pilipinas will be unable to win with a three-point deficit. If Gilas makes a three-pointer, the game will be tied and sent to overtime, which is advantageous to Georgia.

If the game went into overtime, the opponents would have the potential to create a 19-point lead, allowing them to proceed to the semifinals. 

Gilas’ sole potential scenario, which they achieved, is to win, or lose by less than 18 points. Despite the loss, the national team of the Philippines had a good day as they advanced to the next round.

The ever-resilient Filipinos

Cone praised the players for their resilience and determination to win. Being down by 20 and losing one of your key players was a difficult situation for them to be in.

“They were down by 20, and that’s usually a time to panic. But they worked their way back into the game,” said Cone during the post game interview of their exciting game. 

“We were down by 20 at various times, and with a little streak, we could have been down by 30 and using those tickets to go home. They really showed their resilience.”

Photo Courtesy: FIBA

“We were able to stay close, but we couldn’t go into overtime. We had the opportunity to shoot a three at the end to try to force overtime, but we didn’t want to give them a chance to extend the lead in overtime,” added Cone.

Brownlee once again led the team, coming close to a triple-double finish with 28 points, eight rebounds, eight assists, and a steal. 

Ramos backed it up with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists, while Perez and Newsome added 14 and 13 points respectively. 

On the other hand, Georgia was led by San Antonio big man Alexander Mamukelashvili, who scored 26 points. Meanwhile, Orlando’s Bitadze scored 21 points.

Nonetheless, Gilas arrived to the game hoping to secure their second victory. However, opportunity did not come their way, forcing the nationals to seek a different path to advance.

The Philippine team forged their semifinals match against Brazil, who is also coming off a loss against Cameroon. Gilas and Brazil will go at it on Saturday, 8:30PM (PH Time) for a ticket to the finals.