In a thrilling basketball encounter at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou on Tuesday (3 October), Gilas Pilipinas secured a nail-biting one-point victory. Their determined defense in a lopsided fourth quarter against the Islamic Republic of Iran ensured their continued presence in the medal chase, with a hard-fought 84-83 triumph.
The victory had looked secure after three quarters of strong Gilas play, with the Philippines 71–54 up at the third interval. But the Iranians came out strong in the last, out-scoring the Gilas 29–13 – the largest margin in any of the four quarters – and even taking the lead twice.
It was left to a Justin Brownlee shot from inside the paint with 44 seconds left on the clock to put the Gilas back ahead, after which the Gilas showed stiff resistance and resilience to hold Iran off.
Matin Aghajanpour missed a three-pointer with 25 seconds to go and Calvin Oftana picked up the defensive rebound, giving the Gilas the possession back and with it, room to breathe.
It was a frantic end to a game that had started with the Gilas seemingly in control, being as far as 21 points ahead at one stage. Ultimately Iran’s shooting let them down, scoring just 44 per cent of all field goals (32 of 73) and more crucially, missing six of their 13 free throws.
The Philippines have Brownlee to thank, as the 6-foot-6 (1.98m) forward contributed 36 points including the crucial game-winner. He also jointly-led the Gilas in rebounds with eight and in assists with four, with Junemar Fajardo also contributing eight rebounds and four assists in addition to his 18 points.
The upcoming semi-final clash with hosts People’s Republic of China is scheduled for Wednesday at 8pm local time. This marks a significant moment for Gilas Pilipinas as it represents their first appearance in an Asian Games semi-final since 2002. Notably, in their most recent encounter at this year’s World Cup last month, the Philippines emerged victorious with a scoreline of 96-75 against China.
