TEAM PHILIPPINES SUFFERS ANOTHER HEARTBREAKING LOSS

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SEVILLE, SPAIN – Gilas Pilipinas, a team considered to have a slim-to-nothing chance of winning a game, came through with another bright performance, pushing world third-ranked Argentina to the limit in a close 85-81 loss in the 2014 FIBA World Cup at the Centro Deportivo San Pablo here Monday night (early Tuesday morning in Manila).

Argentina needed three important free throws by former NBA player Andres Nocioni in the closing seconds to survive the fierce-fighting Filipinos.

The one-time world championship winner and one-time Olympic gold medalist notched a second win in three games while dealing Gilas Pilipinas a third straight – close – loss in Group B play.

It was another loss that felt like a win, as in the Filipinos’ overtime defeat at the hands of Croatia.

Playing like grizzled warriors in the world meet, the Filipinos surprisingly dominated most of the first half and, after falling behind by 15 in the third, came charging back in the payoff period.

Jimmy Alapag knocked in three treys and Ranidel de Ocampo added one in a bristling fourth quarter that saw Gilas threaten to within one, 81-82, with 2:03 left to play.

A miss by Nocioni gave Gilas the opportunity to regain the lead but Andray Blatche missed a three-point attempt.

After Nocioni made it 83-81 on a split from the line with 42.9 seconds, Gilas set up a make-or-break play for Alapag, but Argentina put up a good defense, denying the cat-quick, sweet-shooting Talk n Text playmaker possession.

Gabe Norwood instead inbounded the ball to Jayson Castro who was blocked by Pablo Prigioni.

Trying to recover the ball, Castro was called a traveling violation, and Argentina escaped with the win.

Gilas lost but continued to draw the attention of the world’s basketball circle.

A riveting start had Gilas Pilipinas leading the first 18 minutes of the game even with Blatche rooting on the bench due to two quick fouls.

The brave combination of de Ocampo, Junmar Fajardo, Castro, Norwood and LA Tenorio gave the Filipinos a couple of 10-point spreads, 17-7 and 32-22, before Argentina came through with a decisive attack in the second quarter and grabbed a 43-38 lead at halftime.

Upon his return to the floor, Blatche scored on a drive, but then Prigioni had a three-point attempt that got a lucky bounce at the buzzer, and the Argentines carried a five-point lead over into the final half.

The Filipinos drew level at 48 on a 10-5 start in the third period, but the Argentines, on the hot sniping of Priogini and inside incursions by Luis Scola and Nocioni, reestablished control at 68-53.

But the Filipinos wouldn’t be daunted and wouldn’t fade just yet.

Gilas fought till the dying seconds in a proud performance that would be remembered back home for a long, long time. (SB)

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