September 3, 2023 (Jack87 News) – On the night of September 2, 2023, Philippines bounced back from a lot of shame by beating an old time basketball nemesis, China. Being the current host of the World Cup, Boda8 Gilas Pilipinas have the homecourt advantage this time. Quoted as the “Manila Massacre”, the Chinese team trailed by more than 20 points in the last quarter. The game ended with the final score of 96-75 in favor of the host team.
Jordan Clarkson saves the best for last as Gilas Pilipinas avoids another winless FIBA World Cup run where he sealed 34 points for the team. He exploded in the third quarter where they outscored their rival 34-11 to break the game wide open.
Gilas Pilipinas lost all of its five games in the last World Cup to finish dead last out of the 32 teams and dropped its first four matches in this edition, falling prey to the Dominican Republic, Angola, Italy, and South Sudan. China, the team that denied Clarkson a win in his debut for the Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games, was stunned today. A man on a mission, Clarkson caught fire in the third quarter, sealing back-to-back shots and drawing so much delight in front of the Filipino nation.
The vicotry against China marked the first time the Filipinos won a World Cup game at home after the country lost all eight games of its hosting in 1978 1xbet. But as gratifying as the victory was following the series of heartbreaking defeats, it came too little, too late as Gilas Pilipinas botched its chance to clinch an outright berth in the Paris Olympics as the best Asian nation.
Owning up to the World Cup letdown, Reyes said he informed the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) that he intended the game against China to be his last. Clarkson and the locals rose to the occasion to give Reyes a victorious swan song as they ended the World Cup triumphantly.
