Gilas Pilipinas tries to end its FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 campaign with a win when it plays Asian rival China at 8 p.m., Saturday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
While the Philippines will be fighting for pride after four straight losses, China needs the win to keep alive a flickering Olympic dream.
The outright Olympic bid may have ended for the Filipinos, but fans still have plenty of reasons to rally behind the nationals.
Wounded but unbowed, Gilas Pilipinas battles one last time as it hopes to put a winning end to its World Cup campaign in its final classification game.
Still smarting from a gut-wrenching 87-68 loss to South Sudan, the brave-hearted Filipinos gather every last bit of strength against Team Dragon, hoping to end the nationals’ recent luckless run on the world stage.
“We’re doing this for flag and country and we’re doing this as our way to serve the country, the Philippines. It’s more than just a ballgame or just a win, but something larger: hopefully ending on a winning note and hopefully leaving a lasting impression,” said Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes.
Beating the Chinese should be as rewarding as any World Cup victory especially with Team Dragon being a perennial powerhouse in the region, ruling the Asian Games four editions in a row from 1986 to 1998. A win would also allow the Nationals to improve upon their finish in the 2019 World Cup.
“We’re trying to put everything together for one last push knowing that there’s no bearing except pride, fighting for the country, for service, which is exactly why we’re here in the first place,” said Reyes.
“No matter how difficult this job is, we’re here, we’re doing it, and hopefully we can come in and get to play our best on Saturday.”
China’s naturalized player Kyle Anderson (Li Kaier), who suits up for the Minnesota Timberwolves in the NBA, believes Gilas Pilipinas plays more than what its records suggest, and so his team is bracing for a tough game against the Filipinos and the home crowd.
“Jordan [Clarkson] is an explosive scorer, he’s a really good player. They’re gonna have the crowd on their side. I don’t think that record shows how good (of a) team they are. They’re still a good team and they play with energy,” Anderson said.