By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
The Philippines kept control in Riga and defeated Latvia, 89-80, on Wednesday.
Seeking a ticket to the 2024 Olympic Games along with five more countries, jumping to 1-0 with a win over the hosts of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament is a big step toward advancing from Group A to the Semifinals. They need to defeat Georgia or lose by a margin of 18 points or less on Thursday.
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Justin Brownlee was the driving force for the Gilas Pilipinas. The 36-year-old combo forward neared a triple-double with 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists. Kai Sotto added 18 points and eight rebounds. Dwight Ramos and June Mar Fajardo added 12 and 11 points, respectively. Chris Newsome with ten points was the fifth double-digit scorer.
The team coached by Tim Cone went up by a margin of 26 points. In a bid to complete an improbable comeback in the fourth period, Latvia reduced the deficit to eight points but eventually ran out of time. Rodions Kurucs had a team-high 18 points in the losing effort. Davis Bertans, Janis Strelnieks, and Kristers Zoriks ended up with ten points each.
Despite being forced down to 1-1, Luca Banchi’s side clinched a berth to the next stage of the OQT thanks to a win by a margin of 28 points against Georgia on Tuesday. If Georgia does not defeat the Philippines by a margin of 47 points or more, Latvia will also rank first in the group.
Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL