MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas shoots for an unprecedented sweep of Group A and a spot in the final four of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia, as it locks horns with Georgia on Thursday, July 4.
Fresh from a giant upset of world No. 6 Latvia, the 37th-ranked Philippines hopes to replicate the feat against world No. 23 Georgia.
The stunner gave the Philippines its first win over a European country in an official FIBA competition in over six decades.
Another victory will see the Nationals finish as the top seed in Group A and reach the crossover semifinals to face the second seed from Group B, which includes Brazil, Montenegro, and Cameroon.
Justin Brownlee is expected to be a marked man after he torched the Latvians to the tune of 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists.
So he needs all the help he can get from the rest of the team, with Kai Sotto, June Mar Fajardo, Dwight Ramos, and Chris Newsome looking to reprise their roles as they all scored in twin digits to give Brownlee ample support.
The Georgians, meanwhile, bank on their formidable frontline featuring NBA players Sandro Mamukelashvili of the San Antonio Spurs and Goga Bitadze of the Orlando Magic.
Mamukelashvili paced Georgia in its 83-55 loss to Latvia with 14 points and 4 rebounds, while Bitadze supplied 7 points, 6 rebounds, 2 blocks, and 2 steals.
With a win, the Philippines will advance along with Latvia in the knockout stage.
A Gilas defeat will result in a three-way tie in Group A, but the Philippines can still advance if it loses no more than 18 points against Georgia.
Game time is 8:30 pm (Manila time). – Rappler.com