GILAS Pilipinas tries to enter the second round of the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup under challenging circumstances as it plays Italy on Tuesday night at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
Gilas plays its final game of the group stage against the Azzurri at 8 p.m. at the Big Dome.
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Despite its 0-2 win-loss record, the Philippines can still advance to the second round, but will need a lot of help in order to progress.
A Dominican Republic win over Angola in the first game at 4 p.m. will keep Gilas Pilipinas in contention for the second round.
According to Fiba, Gilas Pilipinas must win by 12 points or more over world No. 10 Italy to advance to the second round.
The Philippines is coming off an 80-70 loss to Angola. Head coach Chot Reyes said the team is looking to stay focused for the match.
“We focus on what’s within our hands. There’s a game to be played on Tuesday and we are going to prepare the best we can to play a top 10 team,” said Reyes after the Angola defeat.
“We all know the mathematics of the situation. The first thing for us is to prepare and find a way to beat the team. The quotient will take care of itself,” said Reyes.
Like Philippines, however, Italy can’t afford to lose as well after its 87-82 defeat against Dominican Republic, sending the Group A favorites into a complicated situation.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has requested the Gilas fans to wear white in support of the team.
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