A battle of two NBA players looms when Gilas Pilipinas attempts to wash away the bitter taste of an overtime loss it suffered four years ago to Angola in Foshan, China.
A classic duel is expected in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup when the Philippines, starring Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson, and Angola, spearheaded by Atlanta Hawks’ center Bruno Fernando, clash in a rematch on August 27, 2023 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
In 2019 during the FIBA World Cup in China, with nothing more at stake than positions in the 17th-32nd classification stage as both teams had already dropped their opening Group Phase matches against Serbia and Italy, Angola beat Gilas Pilipinas in overtime 84-81.
Coached by Yeng Guiao, the Philippines roared back from 12 points down early in the fourth quarter behind 6’11” naturalized player Andray Blatche, CJ Perez and RR Pogoy to force overtime 73-all. But the Angolans kept their nerves behind Gerson Domingos and Carlos Morais, who had a brief pre-season with the Toronto Raptors in 2013, hanging on to pull off the down-the-wire thriller.
Angola wound up at 27th place in the final standings, five rungs higher than the Philippines.
Turning the tables on the Angolans, and claiming a World Cup victory at the expense of another African qualifier, should be motivation enough for Gilas, which is expected to be boosted this time by a certified NBA star in Clarkson, who is expected to join the team weeks before the World Cup tipoff.
Nine years ago in Seville Spain, one of the sites in the 17th FIBA World Cup, Blatche, a nine-year NBA veteran, had 18 points before fouling out with two minutes left when Gilas tangled in the Group Phase with FIBA Africa’s Senegal, then powered by 6-foot-10 Gorgui Dieng, a first round draft pick of the Utah Jazz in 2013 and who now schools young turks with the San Antonio Spurs as a 10-year NBA journeyman.
While the Philippines was looking not only for its first World Cup victory in 40 years — having edged Central African Republic 87-86 back in July 1974 in Puerto Rico — but also eyeing its first win after four heartbreaking losses earlier, Senegal, which already has made it to the Round of 16 with a 2-3 win-loss record, was, meantime, hell-bent on beating Gilas to avoid a calamitous early meeting with world power Spain.
As fate would have it, the Philippines beat Senegal in overtime, 81-79, sending the Senegalese right into the dreaded matchup with Pau Gasol and Spain where they were promptly dismissed 89-56.
Much is on the line this time for the Philippines and Angola since both teams are in perfect position, unlike in Foshan, China in 2019, to advance to the second round of the Group Phase and fuel their respective bids to qualify for the Paris Olympiad next year.
Gilas could be taking on an Angolan team bannered by the 6’10”, 240-lb big man Fernando, who suited up for the Black Antelopes in the closing windows of the FIBA Africa Qualifiers to help secure the World Cup spot for Angola with victories over Cape Verde, Nigeria and Uganda.
Fernando, 24, was a second round draft pick of the Philadelphia 76ers (34th overall) in 2019, played three years previously for University of Maryland in the NCAA, and had a stint with the Boston Celtics in the 2021-2022 NBA season.
Beating the drums for Fernando, who averaged 4.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 11.7 minutes in the 31 games he played for the Houston Rockets in the 2022-2023 season before returning to the Hawks roster, are primary Angolan mainstays Childe Dundao, Gerson Goncalves, Gerson Domingos and Teotonio Do, all of whom played in 12 FIBA Africa Qualifier games.
Filipino fans will be able to witness Angola in action live for as low as P999 for a day pass, covering two exciting, world-class basketball games.
Day passes and other ticket packages are already on sale at https://philippines-ticketing.worldcup.basketball/.
Fans of Fernando and Angola can avail of the Follow My Team Pass which allows pass holders to watch five games that their preferred team will play in the Group Phase. The two remaining dates of play will be decided depending on their position after the first round of the Group Phase.