ANGOLA dealt Gilas Pilipinas a severe blow in its FIBA World Cup campaign behind an 80-70 win Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, putting the host in danger of missing the next round of the tournament.
A 19-5 run resurrected the Angolans from an 11-point deficit and turned the game around to take a 36-33 lead with them at the break behind the outside snippings of Gerson Goncalves.
Goncalves topscored with 17 points spiked by a 4-of-8 shooting from beyond the arc, and Gerson Domingo with 15 for Angola, which evened its record at 1-1 after losing its initial game in Group A against Italy, 81-67.
The loss pushed Gilas at 0-2 and on the brink of being relegated in the classification phase of the tournament.
"They just kept playing hard and executed what was needed to get it done," said Gilas Pilipinas main man Jordan Clarkson of Angola.
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"They just beat us."
Clarkson, the Utah Jazz star, led Gilas Pilipinas with 21 points and was the only player in double figures, but shot only 7-of-22 from the field.
Young big men AJ Edu and Kai Sotto, added nine and eight points, respectively as their back-to-back baskets gave the Philippines its biggest lead of the game at 28-17 early in the second period.
But the Angolans suddenly found their rythyhm and erased the huge deficit. Atlanta Hawks big man Bruno Fernando scored on a power slam to cap an 11-0 run that tied the game at 28-all.
Angola dictated the tempo of the game from there on, although Gilas managed to briefly retake the lead at 51-50 on a completed three-point play by Clarkson in the third period.
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From there, Angola never let up and led by as many as 73-57 with five minutes left to play.
Fernando added 14 for the Angolans, who will next play undefeated Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominican Republic on Tuesday in the final game of the first round group phase.
Gilas Pilipinas meanwhile, has the tough task of beating Italy (1-1), ranked 10th in the world, to keep its flickering hopes alive of making it to the next round. (RG)
The scores
Angola (80) - Goncalves 17, Domingos 15, Fernando 14, Bango 10, De Sousa 10, Dundao 4, Kokila 4, Francisco 3, Paulo 2, Montero 1, Maconda 0, Fernandes 0.
Philippines (70) - Clarkson 21, Edu 9, Sotto 8, Ramos 8, Perez 7, Fajardo 4, Ravena 3, Abando 2, Thompson 0, Malonzo 0, Aguilar 0.
Quarterscores: 12-19; 36-33; 56-52; 80-70.
