A Gilas Pilipinas team minus Jordan Clarkson lost a competitive game against Mexico, 84-77, in its final tuneup, four days before the FIBA World Cup.
The Guerreros went on a 12-2 run late in the third period to turn a four-point deficit into a 69-63 lead entering the final 12 minutes.
READ: Clarkson, Parks, Thirdy sit out Gilas vs Mexico
The Nationals kept clawing their way back, but Mexico always had a ready answer to book the win in a game held behind closed doors at the Philsports Arena.
Scottie Thompson took charge of the offensive chores for Gilas with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting in the absence of Clarkson, who was rested by the national coaching staff.
Thompson added six rebounds and five assists, while Dwight Ramos had nine along with Roger Pogoy, who had his best game in the three friendlies Gilas played over the last four days.
Spotty three-point shooting again hampered the Nationals’ game, converting just 30 percent from beyond the arc on 7-of-23 shooting.
In contrast, Mexico shot 13-of-24 from the same area for a high 54 percent.
Veteran Paul Stoll had the hot hands for the Guerreros with 17 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the three-point region while adding five rebounds and four assists.
His three-point basket to open the final quarter gave Mexico its biggest lead at 72-63.
Kai Sotto had eight points and two rebounds for Gilas, and so did Jamie Malonzo, while June Mar Fajardo was held to six points after going for 19 in a 102-87 loss to Montenegro on Sunday.
In all, Gilas went 1-2 in the three friendlies it played prior to the World Cup, its only win coming against Ivory Coast, 85-62.
For the third straight game too, Thirdy Ravena and Bobby Ray Parks were not included in the Gilas lineup as coach Chot Reyes went with a 13-man roster in the absence of Clarkson.
See stats:
The scores:
Philippines (77) - Thompson 14, Pogoy 9, Ramos 9, Sotto 8, Malonzo 8, K. Ravena 7, Newsome 6, Fajardo 6, Perez 4, Edu 3, Aguilar 3, Abando 0.
Mexico (84) - Cruz 18, Stoll 17, Jaimes 15, Ibarra 12, Bonilla 6, Giron 6, I. Gutierrez 4, Camacho 3, Andriasi 3, J. Gutierrez 0, Amigo 0.
Quarterscores: 31-27; 51-51; 69-63; 84-77.
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