What Gilas' hoped-for bounce-back game, ended in yet another disappointment as they were defeated once more by Angola in a fresh loss yesterday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
The chances of Gilas progressing to the second round of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup have diminished following their 80-70 defeat.
Despite Gilas' efforts to maintain their 11-point lead in the second quarter, the perfect outside shooting by Angola's guard, Gerson Goncalves, caused them to fall short.
In their second game of the FIBA World Cup campaign, Jordan Clarkson continued to lead with an impressive 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists.
Roger Pogoy and Dwight Ramos each contributed eight points, while CJ Perez added seven points in the losing effort before a crowd of 12,784 fans at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Even in the final quarter, Gilas attempted to trim down the 15-point lead in the remaining three minutes of the game, as Angola's advantage shrank to 73-68.
However, Gerson Domingos seized the moment and unleashed a powerful 3-point shot.
Gerson Goncalves tallied 17 points, complementing Domingos' 15, while Bruno Fernando added 14 points as Angola secured its first victory in the tournament, earning a 1-1 record.
Despite two consecutive defeats, Gilas still holds a slim chance of advancing to the second round, though their fate is no longer entirely in their control.
The Philippine team must emerge victorious against Italy tomorrow, while there is a possibility that the Dominican team might achieve a 3-game sweep, potentially defeating Angola and preventing them from securing two wins in the first round.
Should this scenario unfold, Italy, Angola, and Gilas would all share a 1-0 standing. The only hope remaining lies in the quotient system, where their performance throughout the first round will be reviewed to determine which team the Dominicans will face in the next round.
Leading Group 1 standings is the Dominican Republic with 2 wins and 0 losses, while the Philippines trails at the bottom with 0 wins and 2 losses.
