Gilas’ Olympic dream ends, bows out of Fiba OQT with loss to Brazil

Gilas Pilipinas ends if Fiba OQT run and dreams of making it to the Paris Olympics with a loss to Brazil in the semifinals. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas saw its dream to make it to the Paris Olympics end on Saturday night after losing to world No. 12  Brazil, 71-60, in the semifinals of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga, Latvia.

Up six by halftime, Gilas Pilipinas was shackled to just as many points in the third period with its error-filled play spilling into the final frame, ultimately spelling the squad’s doom in the Fiba OQT that will send a winner to the Summer Olympic Games.

“I don’t know what to say. It’s funny we didn’t expect to be here but then when we got here we’d expect to win. So it’s painful that we didn’t especially having that halftime lead,” Gilas coach Tim Cone said in the post-game presser.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Brazil Fiba OQT semifinals July 6

“Them (Brazilians) going on a, what, 12-0 or 14-0 run on us to start the third quarter, was painful to watch. But there’s a reason Brazil’s 12th-ranked in the world and they proved that tonight,” he went on.

Brazil went on a blistering 18-0 run against the No. 37-ranked Filipinos, who went scoreless for more than six minutes in the third.

Justin Brownlee, who averaged 27 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in the group phase, was limited to just 15 points–all of which he had to earn against a tough-as-nails Brazil defense that hounded him for the entire duration of the game at Arena Riga.

Brownlee scored 12 in the first half and only found his mark again with 4:11 left to play after he picked up his fourth foul. He made a crucial 3-pointer that put Gilas within a realistic distance to make a last-ditch rally, 61-49.

READ: Tim Cone says Gilas star Justin Brownlee ‘should be in the NBA’

Brazil, though, quickly snuffed any hopes for a comeback for Gilas and responded with a 6-2 run to push the lead 67-51 with 2:45 left.

Bruno Caboclo starred for Brazil with 15 points, while Marcelinho Huertas, an NBA veteran who is in his twilight years, delivered 13 points—his late pull-up jumpers taking the fight out of Gilas.

Gilas Pilipinas’ June Mar Fajardo against two Brazil defenders during the Fiba OQT semifinals game in Riga, Latvia. –FIBA PHOTO

Dwight Ramos had 13 points while CJ Perez and June Mar Fajardo chipped in 10 each for for Gilas Pilipinas, which severely missed the services of Kai Sotto.

Sotto hurt his right rib in the match against Georgia during the group phase and was a game-time decision going into Saturday’s final-four duel.

READ: Brazil braces for ‘highly technical’ Gilas in Fiba OQT semifinals

“We don’t want to make excuses but losing Kai was big for us because that took away depth in our frontline and forced June Mar to have to overplay minutes and that kind of all mushroomed right there,” Cone said.

“But the bottom line is we weren’t just good enough tonight, and we got to be better, ” he added.

“Close to what coach Tim said, it just takes one night. You don’t show up and you lose. That’s just how good the teams are here, so today we just didn’t play our best and Brazil just beat us,” said Ramos, a Gilas program fixture.

Brazil will play the winner of the Latvia-Cameroon clash on Monday midnight (Manila time) for one of the final four tickets to the Paris Olympics.

Despite the semifinal exit, Gilas Pilipinas still turned heads in Riga after stunning world No.6 and host Latvia and eliminating No.23 Georgia in the group phase.