(UPDATE) PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday congratulated Gilas Pilipinas for defeating world No. 6 Latvia in the 2024 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga.
“We are all cheering you on from home — let’s shoot for Paris Olympics! Good luck!” he added.
Coming in as a major underdog, Gilas Pilipinas scored a stunning upset victory over Latvia, 89-80, right at the host squad’s home floor to kick off its FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament campaign on a winning note early Thursday morning (Manila time).
The Philippines waxed hot right off the bat with an 8-0 start before padding this to a 16-point lead, 32-16 on a buzzer-beating triple by CJ Perez.
This jolted the Latvian team who clearly did not expect a solid game from the Filipinos.
SANDWICHED Rihards Lomazs of Latvia in action against Calvin Oftana (left) and Japeth Aguilar (right) of Philippines during the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament Group A basketball match in Riga, Latvia, on July 3, 2024.
EPA PHOTO
Gilas Pilipinas continued to play well in the next two quarters as Dwight Ramos’ corner three-point shot off a Justin Brownlee kick-out gave the Philippines its largest lead at 74-48.
While everything seemed to be going the visiting team’s way as its hot shooting managed to quiet the huge Latvian crowd at the Riga Arena, the sixth ranked basketball team in the world staged one last fight that brought the Philippines’ lead down to 79-71.
However, Brownlee just couldn’t be denied, knocking down a crucial jump shot, before adding a rare four-point play to restore order for the 37th-ranked Philippines, 85-71.
That gave Gilas the much-needed cushion en route to knocking down Latvia, which placed fifth in last year’s FIBA World Cup held in Manila.
The victory marked the Philippines’ first against a European team since 1960, when the Filipinos scored a narrow 84-82 triumph against Spain in the Rome Olympics.
Naturalized Filipino Brownlee led Gilas with an all-around performance of 26 points, nine rebounds and nine assists.
Young big man Kai Sotto added 18 points and eight rebounds, while Ramos chipped in 12, seven boards and four assists.
June Mar Fajardo finished with 11 points, five boards and three steals, while Chris Newsome chipped in 10 and four rebounds.
Shortly after Gilas Pilipinas pulled off the stunning win, coach Tim Cone came into the post-game interview and told media men that he was still in a state of shock.
“I’m totally shocked to be sitting here in front of you guys after winning this basketball game,” said Cone.
Cone said defense spelled the biggest difference for a Philippine side that watched Latvia demolish Georgia on Wednesday, 83-55, in the kickoff game of FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Group A.
“Got to credit our guys and their defense. We were doing our best trying to defend everybody,” Cone said, whose Philippine team held Latvia to just 37.5 percent shooting from the floor (27-of-72).
The American mentor and concurrent Barangay Ginebra coach added that the Gilas Pilipinas defense targeted Charlotte Hornets power forward Davis Bertans right from the get go.
“We were very, very conscious of him,” noted Cone, referring to Bertans, who struggled to get his shooting after making just 2-of-7 from downtown en route to finishing with just 10 points.
“We played him with a smaller guy who can be quicker.”
Cone said they had to put on a smaller guy to defend Bertans, knowing how quick the 31-year-old Latvia forward is.
A big break that turned out to be a game changer was the absence of guard Arturs Zagars, who scored eight points, six assists and three rebounds in Latvia’s 28-point beatdown of Georgia.
“This is not something we thought we were gonna do, I’ll be honest with you,” said Cone. “We wanted to come in and compete and really put on a good show. We got started early. We hit shots early.”
“Then, thankfully, Latvia missed shots and also (Arturs) Zagars didn’t play. That was huge for us. He is that guy who goes out there and controls the tempo for them.”
House Speaker Martin Romualdez lauded Gilas Pilipinas on Thursday for its “historic” win against Latvia in an Olympic qualifying match.
“It is with great pride and heartfelt congratulations that I commend Gilas Pilipinas for their historic victory against Latvia in an official FIBA tournament. This triumph, ending a 64-year drought of wins against European teams, is glaring proof to the unwavering spirit, dedication and perseverance of our national basketball team,” Romualdez said.
“The match against Latvia showcased our team’s skill and grit. Gilas Pilipinas played with a passion and intensity that inspired all who watched. This victory is a shining example of our players’ ability to rise to the occasion and overcome the formidable challenge posed by a strong European team,” he said.
The House chief said Congress would continue its support for the country’s athletes in terms of benefits through legislation.
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