IT was defeat that tasted just as sweet as Gilas Pilipinas still reached the semifinals of the 2024 Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (Fiba OQT) after a 94-96 loss to a Georgia team that needed to win by 19 points or more to advance.
READ: Gilas marches on to OQT semifinals after two-point loss to Georgia
Just when it seemed that a Philippine side that beat Latvia the night before ran out of steam and fell behind 0-14 to start the game, the Filipinos fought back to make it a back-and-forth affair all the way to the final buzzer.
But as the dust settles on a tightly-contested pool with Latvia and Georgia, Gilas' focus now shifts to a likely date with Brazil in the semifinals - just two wins away from a historic trip to Paris and a first Olympic berth in 52 years.
See how Gilas fans reacted to a rather bizarre game that saw the Philippines get over the hump of pool play:
SEMIS-BOUND!
Brownlee’s world
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