Georgia won over the Philippines via two charity shots from Goga Bitadze in the dying seconds, but the losing Gilas Pilipinas side moved on to the semifinals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 at the Arena Riga.
The Filipinos absorbed a close 94-96 setback, but a better quotient record over their tormentors earned them the ticket to the next round.
A 19-point win would put Georgia in a semis against the top finisher of Group B, but their two-point victory gave the Filipino cagers the right to advance, and stay in contention for a slot to the Paris Olympics.
Coach Tim Cone said they were supposed to fly home Manila on Friday, and now they will just have to cancel their tickets to play in the semifinals.
Bitadze, who had 21 points, sank two charities with 14.1 seconds to hand Georgia a 96-93 edge.
In the return play, Chris Newsome was supposed to go for three, got fouled, got awarded two freebies, and sank only one with 2.8 seconds remaining.
Latvia, the Philippines and Georgia all finished with a 1-1 card in Group A, with the first having better quotients.
“I guess we’re gonna have to move them back a bit (reservations). That’s how surprised we are to be here (in the semis),” said Cone.
Editor’s Note: This is an updated article. Originally posted with the headline: “Gilas Pilipinas loses by 2 vs Georgia, but still advances to OQT semis.”
