Fiba World qualifiers: Gilas falls to Kazakhstan, drops to 3rd place tie with Japan

Stanley Pringle vs Kazakhstan defender in Fiba World Cup qualifying game. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

The Philippines absorbed a tough 92-88 loss to Kazakhstan in the second round of the group stage of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers Friday at Mall of Asia Arena.

Gilas Pilipinas dropped to a third-place tie with Japan, which took an 85-47 win over last-placed Qatar, in Group F after falling to a 5-4 record.

Anton Bykov drilled a dagger of a layup for the Kazakhs after he converted Rustam Yergali’s assist with 12.7 seconds left in the game.

Yergali was able to draw Gilas center June Mar Fajardo to help out on the left side of the paint and he made a short pass to Bykov who beat the shot clock.

“We were mismatched in terms of quickness especially with our big men,” said Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao who elected to use NorthPort point guard Stanley Pringle as the team’s naturalized player instead of San Miguel center Christian Standhardinger and former NBA player Andray Blatche.

There were stretches when Fajardo was the lone true big man on the court for the Philippines with natural wing Gabe Norwood playing as the power forward.

“It’s really the aggressiveness of Kazakhstan that was apparent in attacking the basket and us being drawn to fouls.”

The Philippines committed 25 fouls that led to 24 made free throws for Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan held a 90-85 lead after Yergali’s free throws with 34.2 seconds left but Marcio Lassiter’s three with 26.1 seconds left to play made it a one-possession game, 90-88.

Pringle led the Philippines with 29 points while Fajardo had 14 points and 13 rebounds with Lassiter pitching in 13.

Alexandr Zhigulin finished with a game-high 30 points with seven rebounds to lead the Kazakhs who improved to a 4-5 record in Group F.

The top three teams of Groups E and F and the better of the two fourth placers will advance to the Fiba Basketball World Cup in 2019 in China.

The Philippines is now in a must-win situation to break its tie with Japan to ensure a spot in the World Cup.