Gilas Pilipinas vs Mongola in the Asian Games 3×3 basketball. -SBP PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas’ three-game winning streak in the Asian Games 3×3 basketball showcase met its end on Friday.
The Nationals bowed to Mongolia, 21-12, finding very few answers to the enemy’s pinpoint shooting at Deqing Basketball Court in Hangzhou, China.
Bismarck Lina had seven points, Bryan Sajonia and John Rey Pasaol two each, while Justine Sanchez had one in the loss that weighed doubly heavy for the program.
The Philippines slipped all the way to third place in Pool A, its 3-1 record unable to make up the 63 points it racked up in group play.
Gilas, as it turned out, scored less than the other two teams who also now tout the same record: Mongolia (75 points overall) and Chinese-Taipei (73).
That means the Philippines will have to go through a you-or-me contest against a yet-to-be-determined foe on Saturday in order to compete in the knockout stages.
Gilas found itself staring at a 0-5 deficit early, no thanks to the long shots of Ulzii-Orshikh Myagmarsuren and Batzaya Tsermaa.
The Filipinos tried to come back twice inside the final four minutes, pulling within six points but the Mongolians, seasoned in the specialized format, hardly budged.