IT’S 3:40 a.m., and ‘Serbia’ is trending on Twitter.
And rightly so. Amid the boos of a hostile home crowd, RJ Abarrientos ekes out a slim lead, 74-73, as the young national squad punches waaaay above their own weight to take on the world number 5.

A clearly rattled Serbia recovered enough at the final frame to assert a victory, 83-76.
But even with that loss, a smiling Gilas took to the center of the court in a huddle, knowing they did their country proud.
At the close of the game, ‘Gilas’ was also trending on PH’s Twitter trending chart. Check out these reactions:
The whole team, actually
We were so close. And that is victory enough.
True grit!
Walang tulugan with master showmen
Yan po ang tamang sagot
Pang NBA!
Tamayo wasn't afraid to get physical
Heading makes the right moves!
Baka mahal magpagupit sa Serbia
E kung andiyan pa kaya si Dwight?
A great reminder: Let's all support the national team
WIth additional reporting by Mark Ernest V. Villeza.
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