By: Rich Longakit
Philippines' Jordan Clarkson before being removed due to a foul, which contributed to the collapse of the game for the country. Photo courtesy of FIBA Philippines.
A lackluster fourth quarter performance by Gilas Pilipinas gave Dominican Republic a 87-81 victory over the Filipino cagers in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, yesterday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Jordan Clarkson's exposure ended when he was fouled out of the game with 3:32 remaining in the match, hastening Gilas' collapse in front of record-breaking 38,115 spectators.
However, the Utah Jazz point guard exceeded lofty expectations with 28 points, seven boards, seven assists, and two steals.
PBA six-time MVP June Mar Fajardo backed Clarkson with 16 points on 5-of-5 shooting, while Dwight Ramos contributed 13 points and six rebounds. Aj Edu had seven rebounds and two blocks.
Both teams battled with unyielding effort in the first half as they did not allow one another to get an advantage of as much as five points.
With an advantage to cut the game's margin to one point, AJ Edu missed both free throws, leaving the Filipino fans down with one minute remaining. Despite a foul on Fajardo with 1:36 remaining on the clock, Victor Liz made a layup to extend the lead to 83-79.
Karl Anthony Towns led his team with 26 points and 10 rebounds, including free throws and hook jumpers, expanding the Dominican Republic lead to 81-76, dashing Filipino aspirations.
The Filipinos could not recover despite fighting back and had no choice but to accept defeat against the KAT-led team.
Victor Liz had 18 points, six rebounds, and four steals for the Dominicans. Together with Andres Feliz who performed layman chipping in 12 points, six rebounds, and eight assists.
Gilas Pilipinas will face Angola in a game determining their fate on Sunday, 8pm at Araneta Coliseum.
The Scores:
Quarter scores: 22-18, 42-42, 66-64, 87-81
Dominican Republic 87- Towns 26, Liz 18, Feliz 12, Montero 6, Delgado 6, Figueroa 5, Pena 5, Vargas 5, Mendoza 2, Quinones 2, Solano 0.
Philippines 81- Clarkson 28, Fajardo 16, Ramos 13, Edu 7, Pogoy 6, Thompson 5, Abando 2, Aguilar 2, Ravena 2, Malonzo 0, Sotto 0.