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Sports news August 31
Gilas Pilipinas vs South Sudan recap
Gilas Pilipinas continued to come up short, bowing to South Sudan, 87-68, in their classification round match in the 2023 Fiba World Cup at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum, eliminating the Philippines from contention for an outright spot in the Paris Olympics.
The Filipino dribblers tried to make another comeback, this time from a 21-point first-half deficit, as they managed to pull to within four points, 60-56, early in the fourth quarter after a reverse alley-oop slam by Kai Sotto off AJ Edu.
But the Sudanese restored order behind NBA G League MVP and Chicago Bulls-bound guard Carlik Jones, who registered 17 points, 14 assists, and one rebound shy of putting up the first triple-double in Fiba World Cup history.
Jordan Clarkson and Dwight Ramos led Gilas with 24 and 20 points, respectively.
What’s next for Chot Reyes?
Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes said only the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) knows what the future holds for him.
Reyes is leaving his fate to SBP management if he is staying on or not as Gilas head coach following the team’s fourth straight loss, an 87-68 defeat at the hands of South Sudan, in a World Cup that the country is hosting, with one final game to play.
Calls for his resignation have grown even louder following the dismal performance of the national team in a World Cup where they failed to make it past the firt round.
“With regards to my personal future, that really is in the hands of the federation,” Reyes said.
“But for me, myself, you all know that I’ve already retired and left this job several times. But when I’ve been asked to come back, I could not turn my back to the call of service for flag and country,” he added.
How Gilas can still make Paris Olympics
Believe it or not, despite its dismal campaign, Gilas Pilipinas still has a slim chance to make it to the Paris Olympics.
Even after a 19-point loss to South Sudan that removed them from contention to become the best-placed Asian team in this World Cup for an outright spot in Paris, the Pinoy cagers can still qualify via two routes.
First is to clinch a spot through the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT).
With Japan having the inside track of that outright Olympic spot from Asia, the second best-placed Asia/Oceania team will directly advance to the OQT. The emphasis, however, is on Asia/Oceania which means New Zealand will be in the equation. The Tall Blacks currently hold a 1-3 win-loss record with a -36 point difference.
And should Gilas also let second place slip away, its last chance for a first Olympic appearance since finishing 13th in Munich in 1972 is to be among the 16 best-ranked teams regardless of continent after the second best sides from Asia, Africa, and Oceania.
However, this could be a long shot. In 2019, no team advanced to the OQT by finishing with a 1-4 win-loss record in the World Cup, and the Philippines only made it to the OQT because New Zealand pulled out.
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