WHEN Gilas Pilipinas faces Lebanon on Friday in the Fiba Basketball World Cup Asian qualifiers, it will try to overcome a Cedars squad that had pretty much dominated them for the past few years.
They will try to win over Lebanon on Friday, this time in a different setting as Gilas Pilipinas play at home at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
The match is practically a no-bearing one since both squads have already clinched berths in the World Cup, but nevertheless important, particularly for Gilas which has seen Lebanon dominate their previous face-offs.
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In their most recent match, Lebanon defeated Philippines, 85-81, last August 25 despite Utah Jazz player Jordan Clarkson reinforcing the visitors during the fourth window of the Asian qualifiers in Beirut.
Showing the way in the contest was Wael Arakji, who had 24 points and nailed critical buckets late before ecstatic home fans.
Gilas actually met Lebanon last year twice, having faced off in the Fiba Asia Cup in Jakarta. The Philippines also lost that game, 95-80, with Arakji again leading the Cedars with 20 points on the way to the tournament MVP award.
Even before Arakji’s emergence with the Cedars, Lebanon has also been successful against Gilas.
In the classification phase of the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup, Lebanese legend Fadi El Khatib erupted for 36 points to beat Gilas, 106-87, to eventually finish fifth in the tournament. The Philippines ended up seventh.
One of the few times that Gilas won against Lebanon was in the 2015 Fiba Asia Cup where Pilipinas placed second behind China. The Philippines defeated a shorthanded Lebanon squad, 82-70, in the quarterfinals. Jayson Castro had 25 points, and Andray Blatche had 24 points and 17 rebounds.
The Cedars only had seven players in the contest, including a 21-year-old Arakji.
Can history repeat itself for Lebanon? Or will Gilas find redemption?
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