Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, June 20) – Gilas Pilipinas shot the lights out from the three-point distance to escape with a 82-77 win against South Korea in their final 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers game in Clark, Pampanga.
With the victory, the Philippines swept all of its six games in the continental qualifying tournament. The Filipinos clinched their slot in the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup, slated in August in Indonesia, in their thrilling 81-78 win against the South Koreans last June 16.
The Tab Baldwin-mentored national team made 14 three-pointers in the game, out of 37 attempts. South Korea, who defeated the Philippines many times in clutch rainbow shots, shot 10 out of 35 from deep.
Baldwin also credited the young Gilas squad in forcing more turnovers to South Korea (7-12) and getting points from turnovers (19-5) and fast break shots (9-3).
“I think when you see this statline and South Korea had only three fast break points, that’s a pretty good formula for beating a South Korean team when you hold their transition game down and you don’t turn over the ball and get the boards,” Baldwin said in the post-game press conference.
Dwight Ramos led all scorers in the Philippine side with 17 points, where he shot five three-pointers in the game. The former Cal State standout also sank the game-winning free throw in the last 15 seconds of the game.
7-foot-3 Filipino basketball prodigy Kai Sotto, young guard RJ Abarrientos, and Filipino Australian player Jordan Heading chipped in 10 points apiece.
Both teams had a relatively low-scoring affair in the first half, with the Philippines leading 38-34. But South Korea shot better in the first 20 minutes of the game with 44.4% against the Filipinos’ 40.5% shooting.
Gilas tallied its biggest lead of the game in the third quarter at nine points, 43-34, from a layup by Will Navarro. The South Koreans kept the game at bay with inside shots from former PBA import Ricardo Ratliffe and long-range bombs from Davidson Wildcats ace Hyunjung Lee.
In the fourth quarter, the South Koreans forced Gilas with some fouls to keep them close, 75-77, in the final minute.
De La Salle slotman-turned-wing player Justine Baltazar scored a dunk in the last 33 seconds, after getting the loose ball from an almost Gilas turnover, to gain a two-possession lead for the Philippines.
Ratliffe, also known as Ra Guna, topscored the Sang Hyun Cho-coached national squad with 20 points and 13 rebounds. Lee added 13 points, while Hongseok Yang added 12 markers in their losing effort.
Gilas will now turn its sights in the Olympic Qualification Tournament in Belgrade, Serbia from June 29 to July 4.
