By REYNALD MAGALLON
With winning the 2023 FIBA World Cup seemingly out of reach in a tournament that is historically dominated by the teams from the west, Asian teams are eyeing for the next big thing – a berth in next year’s Paris Olympics.
That’s because the best-placed Asian team at the end of the three-week basketball joust will qualify to the global sporting spectacle.
So far, all of the Asian teams in the frantic race, all absorbed defeats in their respective first assignments with Gilas Pilipinas standing out as the only squad which managed to defy expectations against opponents hailing from the Americas and Euro qualifiers.
Obviously, all are higher-ranked countries.
Gilas even managed to get itself in the position to win, coming tantalizingly close to achieving the improbable.
However, the unfortunate exit of Jordan Clarkson in the final three minutes of the game paved the way for the Dominican Republic to secure an 87-81 triumph, just a six-point defeat.
Throughout the game, Gilas, at times, seized the lead and never stared to a double-digit deficit. The Filipinos, behind a record-breaking crowd, even engaged the Karl-Anthony Towns-led Dominica to a nip-and-tuck affair that featured a total of 19 deadlock and 15 lead changes.
Conversely, the remaining Asian teams did not fare as well.
Japan showed promise in the early stages of their match against Germany, getting notable contributions from NBA winger Yuta Watanabe and Yudai Baba.
However, the Akatsuki Five ultimately succumbed to an 18-point loss, as the Mo Wagner-led German team clinched an 81-63 victory.
Jordan also exhibited resilience initially but faltered in the end game.
Former PBA import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson kept the Falcons competitive until the third quarter but Greece surged ahead in the final frame, securing a commanding 92-71 win, a 21-point defeat for Jordan.
The rest of the games of other Asian teams were complete blowouts.
Lebanon suffered a 37-point loss to Latvia, 107-70, while Iran proved no match for Brazil, enduring a lopsided 41-point defeat, 100-59. China, one of the favorites to claim the Olympic spot, encountered a similar fate with a 42-point setback against Serbia, 105-63.
