Gilas Pilipinas falls to China in Fiba Asia final, settles for silver anew
Photo from Fiba.com
China reclaimed its place at the top of Asian basketball, outmuscling a hard-fighting Gilas Pilipinas, 78-67, to claim the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship Saturday night in Changsa, China.
The Chinese, buoyed by a loud hometown crowd, recovered quick from a sluggish start which saw the Filipinos lead 5-0 and never relinquished the lead again.
China, which ousted 2013 champion Iran in the semifinals, grabbed the lone berth to the 2016 Rio Olympics at stake in the Asian Qualifiers.
It was the second straight silver finish for the Filipinos, who bowed to the Iranians in the 2013 final.
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