GILAS Pilipinas still was unable to solve the puzzle that is China, falling in the bronze medal game, 20-18, on Sunday in the 2022 Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore.
Almond Vosotros' hot hands could not help the Philippines get over the hump even after he tied the game at 15 with a deuce in the final 2:16.
The fourth-place finish is the country's best performance in the Fiba 3x3 Asia Cup.
[See Gilas 3x3 side stuns top seed Mongolia in quarters]
Liu Zeyi and Zhao Jiaren would take over from there, pushing China up, 20-16 with 40 seconds remaining.
Still, Gilas refused to lose, with Lervin Flores nailing a deuce to inch the Philippines closer, 20-18, but Vosotros just couldn't find the bottom of the net as time expired.
Vosotros powered the Filipinos with eight points while Joseph Eriobu had five in the tough defeat.
Flores also got three, while Samboy de Leon had a pair as Gilas failed to avenge a 21-11 loss to the same Chinese team in Group C of the main draw.
Still, it's a solid performance for the Philippines, which worked its way from the qualifying draw where it beat Jordan and Indonesia, turned back host Singapore in the group stage, and stunned top seed Mongolia in the quarterfinals.
The Philippines last competed way back in the inaugural staging in 2013 where the quartet of Kevin Ferrer, Robby Celiz, Bacon Austria, and Gio Ciriacruz made it as far as the quarterfinals where it fell to Jordan.
Liu led China with nine points.
The scores:
CHINA 20 - Liu 9, Zhao Jr 6, Lyu 4, Zhao Jy 1.
PHILIPPINES 18 - Vosotros 8, Eriobu 5, Flores 3, de Leon 2.
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