By: Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
Puso was on display, but the game went away.
The Gilas Pilipinas fell to Angola in a nail-biting game, losing to an 84-81 overtime match that made them winless in their FIBA World Cup bracket outing.
Angola started firing from all cylinders as they looked to torch Gilas with their three-point shooting, capitalizing on Gilas’ late defensive help on the wings.
For three consecutive games, the PH squad fired blanks and bricks as they just can’t seem to knock down their three-point shots.
Gilas had their chances, climbing from a 63-54 deficit in the fourth canto with almost seven minutes left to eventually take the lead, 65-67 courtesy of a Roger Pogoy three-pointer.
In a game where Gilas thought they had it, the breaks of the game didn’t go their way as Gilas had a chance to ice it with 5.2 seconds left. But CJ Perez seemed unaware of time and score as he started dribbling and attempted the shot with only 2 seconds remaining, trying to create a play from close the halfcourt line.
During the overtime period, Gilas had a rough start protecting the ball, turning the leather over two times in the crucial stretch.
Angola played a composed game in the overtime frame, dishing out to teammates for open looks and cutting to the basket when the defense collapsed.
Gilas kept themselves close in the extra period with their aggressive attacks to the basket, cashing in on their free throws, but they just can’t get the needed stop to gain momentum.
Gilas Pilipinas finished winless in their bracket against Italy, Serbia, and Angola.
