MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED) – Gilas Pilipinas, the men’s basketball team of the Philippines suffered another heart-crushing defeat against Puerto Rico on Wednesday September 3, 2014. It was another close fight that ended with a score of 73-77. Team Gilas needed to win this fight in order to advance to the finals of the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The Philippines was off to a great start, leading with 13 points. Gilas Pilipinas was down to a 2-point lead with only 5 minutes left at the closing of the third quarter.
With only 4.5 seconds left in the fourth quarter, team captain Jimmy Alapag managed to make three free throws, closing the gap down to 73-75. Puerto Rico responded by landing two more points, ending the game.
This is the fourth straight loss for the Philippine team, having previously lost against Croatia (81-78), Greece (70-82), and Argentina (85-81). Gilas Pilipinas’ next battle will be against Senegal, which is expected to be a tough match. Senegal has had victories over both Puerto Rico (82-75) and Croatia (77-75).
(photo via Inquirer.net)