A fourth-quarter collapse and a flurry of late fouls didn’t help Gilas Pilipinas open their 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign the way they wanted to as the co-host Philippines absorb an 81-87 loss to Karl Anthony Towns-led Dominican Republic during their opening game at the Philippine Arena on Friday night, August 25.
Everything was going right for the 12-man Gilas who were banking on Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson’s offensive arsenal as they went wire-to-wire against the World No. 10 Dominicana until the final quarter’s last three minutes.
But the Sixth Man of the Year awardee’s subsequent fouling out late in the clutch handicapped the national team’s chances of securing a win over the top-ranked team.
Clarkson poured in 28 points, seven assists and grabbed seven boards in 34 minutes before heading to the bench while Gilas mainstay June Mar Fajardo contributed 16 points and 7 rebounds in the loss.
Towns was in his usual dominant form powering the Dominican Republic’s offense as he finished with 26 points, going 15-of-16 in his charity shots, to go with 10 rebounds for a double-double showing.
Collective efforts from the starters and substitutes kept the ball rolling for ranked 40th Gilas in the opening quarter with Dwight Ramos, Scottie Thompson, and Fajardo sinking their shots to pace the country before Clarkson started heating up.
The Philippines didn’t have to wait too long for help to arrive as the Flamethrower opened the following frame in style – dropping nine second-quarter points before going flawless in the free-throw line (4/4) – as Gilas went for a 42-42 deadlock before heading to the tunnel.
Clarkson led the way for Gilas in the fourth after converting his free throws to give the Philippines a relieving 69-72 edge, but Dominicana sparked a 6-0 run to take the lead back, 75-72.
Dominoes would soon fall one after another for the Philippines when Clarkson picked up his fifth personal foul just before the 3:00 mark and was forced to watch the rest of the game on the sidelines.
Now without their main gun, Gilas tried to climb the one-possession hole but was a sorry sight in trying to reverse the foul-marred final quarter thanks to the tighter defense and superior physicality imposed by the visitors.
Gilas finds itself at the bottom of Group A with a 0-1 card together with Angola who are placed just below the country in the latest FIBA power rankings at No. 41. Italy and the Dominican Republic – both appearing in the top ten – complete the pack.
The Philippines will look to keep their tournament candles lit on Sunday, August 27 as they set things through with Angola.
Article by Patrick Joseph Dincol