Jordan Clarkson finds bright spot in loss: Gilas never gave up in the stretch

Gilas Pilipinas’ Jordan Clarkson. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Despite Gilas Pilipinas’ heartbreaking 80-70 loss to Angola in Group A of the 2023 Fiba World Cup, Jordan Clarkson still lauded his squad’s resilience in the clutch.

After being down by as many as 13 in the payoff period, Gilas fought back to shave the deficit down to five, 73-68, before Gerson Domingos put the nail on the coffin with a three-point basket, 76-68.

“We don’t give up. We’re going to keep fighting, keep playing and still compete. That’s a good thing for us. We figured it out a little late but somehow we just have to continue going,” said Clarkson at Araneta Coliseum on Sunday.

“It’s tough but we got to get over it. We still got games to play. That’s all we can do.”

The Utah Jazz star finished with 21 points, seven assists and three rebounds but shot poorly from the field at 31.8 percent from the field.

He sank just seven of his 22 attempts from the court. The former NBA Sixth Man winner also praised the Angolans’ effort as they improved to a 1-1 record in pool play.

“They just kept playing hard. They executed what needed to be done. They just beat us.”

Clarkson was also the leading scorer for Gilas in their 87-81 loss to the Dominican Republic on Friday at Philippine Arena with 28 points.

Clarkson and the Philippines turn their attention to Italy on Tuesday for their last game in Group A of the global competition.