Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — Palestine pulled the rug from under Gilas Pilipinas, 75-73, in its 2015 FIBA Asia Championship debut on Wednesday (September 23) in Changsha, China.
Palestine instigated a 10-to-nothing run in the homestretch to gain the lead for the first time in the game, 72-71.
That surge was capped by a three-pointer by Abu Shamala, who topscored for Palestine with 26 points.
Andray Blatche answered in the ensuing play, but Sani Sakakini put the stranglehold on the victory for the first-timers with an undergoal stab.
Sakakini finished with 21 points.
Blatche led Gilas, which was expected to dominate its foe after finishing second in the 2013 edition of the biennial meet, with 21 markers.
Behind the naturalized Filipino, the Filipinos rolled on to a 27-12 start.
But Palestine refused to fold, slicing a 16-point lead to five, 45-40, at the end of the first half.
Off halftime, Gilas regained a double-digit lead but its foes slowly trimmed the gap until it became a nip-and-tuck contest in the final minutes.
