Gilas Pilipinas fall to Kazakhstan in Fiba World Cup qualifier a day after teammate Jordan Clarkson shines for Cavaliers in the NBA
- Philippines share third place with Japan in group F after their fourth defeat of the campaign
- Only the top three from each pool and the best fourth team advance to the finals
Just a day after Jordan Clarkson had one of his best games of the season for Cleveland in the NBA, his Gilas Pilipinas teammates halfway around the world suffered the heartbreak of a Fiba World Cup qualifying defeat at home to Kazakhstan.
Clarkson, who starred for the Philippines in their Asian Games campaign in August, scored 25 points in a 100-83 loss to Oklahoma City but has not played for the national team since the end of the Jakarta tournament.
And how his teammates missed his three-point shooting skills as they fell 92-88 at home in the Mall of Asia Arena. The loss is a major blow to their hopes of qualifying from the Asian region for next year’s World Cup finals in China and is a reverse of their comfortable victory over the Kazakhs in pool play in Jakarta, when Clarkson sat on the bench,
The ever-reliable Stanley Pringle was the home team’s best performer with 29 points on 11 for 23 shooting with two out of seven three-pointers made, though he missed a late 3 attempt that could have brought his team level.
Alexandr Zhigulin was the highest scorer for the visitors, pouring in 230 points on 10 for 16 shooting, including six three-pointers from 12 attempts.
Philippines now share third place with Japan with five wins from nine games and four losses in group F with only the top three from each of the two six-team pools qualifying for the finals, along with the best fourth-placed team.
Filipino coach Yeng Guiao said he took responsibility for the defeat.