Australia look to Paris Olympics after FIBA World Cup exit

OKINAWA, Japan -- Australia head coach Brian Goorjian said preparation for the Paris Olympics "starts now" after the Boomers were eliminated from the Basketball World Cup by a Luka Doncic-inspired Slovenia on Friday.

Australia lost 91-80 as the second round got under way in Okinawa in southern Japan, sending them out of the tournament due to Germany's win over Georgia in Group K earlier in the day.

Australia had already clinched a qualifying spot at next year's Paris Olympics as the highest-placed Oceania team at the World Cup.

Goorjian immediately turned his thoughts towards the Games and said he was "excited at where this thing could go".

"It starts now, preparation for the Olympics," he said.

"We learned a lot and I think we're in the process of change in style of play, both offensively and defensively."

Australia won bronze at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics two years ago, beating Slovenia to reach the podium.

Goorjian has blooded a host of young players at the World Cup being hosted in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, including 20-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Josh Giddey.

Giddey was the game's top scorer against Slovenia with 25 points, and Goorjian said "the youth of this thing is for real".

"Some big decisions are ahead but I like what's in front of me," he said.

Australia struggled to cope with Doncic, who had 19 points for Slovenia.

The Dallas Mavericks superstar got into foul trouble but still gave Australia problems in almost 29 minutes on the floor.

Australia again made a slow start to the game and Goorjian said his team had to "play through some mistakes before it clicks in".

"When you get in a game like this and there's a lot of pressure, who you are comes out," he said.

"We're a step off it right now."

Agence France-Presse

US gather pace at FIBA World Cup on day of historic wins

MANILA -- The United States gathered momentum with a win over Greece at the FIBA World Cup on Monday, while there were historic first victories for debutants South Sudan and Cape Verde.

Defending champions Spain, Serbia and a Luka Doncic-inspired Slovenia picked up their second wins of the tournament, while New Zealand and Cote d'Ivoire got off the mark.

The United States faced a Greece side missing Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in their second game in Manila, and they wasted little time in showing their quality in a 109-81 win.

"Our thought process every game is to wear the opponent down," said head coach Steve Kerr.

"We're 12-deep on our roster and we're just trying to stay solid on every possession and really put pressure on the opponent."

Austin Reaves led the United States in scoring with 15 points, followed by Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards with 13 each.

The Americans were rewarded with impressive performances throughout the lineup, with the hard-working Josh Hart pulling down 11 rebounds.

"He has the ability to do things on the court as every other NBA player does, but he takes pride in always doing the little things on a nightly basis," Brunson said of Hart, his teammate with the New York Knicks.

"He brings that toughness, that effort, and he's a different man. He goes out there and he's relentless."

Antetokounmpo withdrew from Greece's squad on the eve of the tournament, saying he was not ready to play after undergoing knee surgery last month.

The Greeks can still advance to the next round if they win their final group game against New Zealand, who beat Jordan 95-87 in overtime earlier in the day.

"If we want to have a possibility to win the game against New Zealand, we've got to be more physical," said Greece head coach Dimitris Itoudis.

"For them and for us, it's a final."

- Historic wins -

Spain also made it two wins out of two, beating Brazil 96-78, while elsewhere in Group G, Cote d'Ivoire beat Iran 71-69.

In Group B, debutants South Sudan stunned China 89-69 for their first ever World Cup win.

The world's number 62-ranked team scored 15 three-pointers on the way to victory in Manila, putting them right in the mix for a place in the next round.

South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey said his players "stuck to the game plan from the opening tip to the closing horn".

"They were resilient, persistent, they had laser-like focus, they followed the game plan and competed at the highest level," he said.

"They played with emotion, they played with fight, they played with fire. We competed all 40 minutes and we came out with the victory."

The result left China needing to beat Puerto Rico in their final group game on Wednesday and hoping that other results go their way to avoid a first-round exit.

China head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic accused his players of lacking "aggressiveness".

"In moments of difficulty, you have to find your spirit to respond on the floor," he said.

"It cannot be everything on paper -- you have to find it. Those moments are making winning teams."

Serbia beat Puerto Rico 94-77 to stay in control at the top of Group B.

In Group F, Cape Verde also pulled off their first World Cup win, beating Venezuela 81-75.

The smallest country ever to appear at the World Cup were down by 10 points early in the fourth quarter but took the lead with 57 seconds remaining.

"This is a historical moment for us," said Cape Verde head coach Emanuel Trovoada.

"It's a small nation with a big heart."

Elsewhere in Group F, Doncic scored 34 points and had 10 rebounds and 6 assists as Slovenia beat Georgia 88-67.

Agence France-Presse

South Sudan savor first-ever FIBA World Cup win

MANILA -- South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey said his team "played with fire" after stunning China to claim their first-ever win at the Basketball World Cup on Monday.

The world's number 62-ranked team scored 15 three-point shots on their way to an 89-69 victory in Manila, keeping their hopes of a second-round place alive in their World Cup debut.

South Sudan became an independent country in 2011 and played their first official international basketball game only six years ago.

But Ivey said their win over world number 27-ranked China was fully deserved, as his players "stuck to the game plan from the opening tip to the closing horn".

"They were resilient, persistent, they had laser-like focus, they followed the game plan and competed at the highest level," he said.

"They played with emotion, they played with fight, they played with fire. We competed all 40 minutes and we came out with the victory."

South Sudan led for most of their opening game at the tournament against Puerto Rico on Saturday before losing 101-96 in overtime.

They also made a strong start against China but they kept their noses in front this time, outscoring their opponents by 10 points in the final quarter.

Carlik Jones, who scored 35 points against Puerto Rico, had 21 against China to lead South Sudan in scoring.

Forward Nuni Omot said the win was "a dream come true".

"To be able to do this in front of our fans, people watching back at home, it's been a very emotional day for everyone, getting our first ever World Cup win," he said.

South Sudan can qualify for the next stage if they beat Serbia in their final group game on Wednesday.

Ivey said his team were "not satisfied" with only one win and vowed to give their all.

"My thing is: no pressure," he said.

"My guys play free, play together, they stay together whether we're up 20 or down 20, we don't flinch.

"We're going to come out there and give it our best shot."

Ivey also paid tribute to Luol Deng, the former NBA player who has masterminded South Sudan's rise in his role as president of the country's basketball federation.

"Luol Deng is the heart and soul of all of this," Ivey said of Deng, who played in the NBA for 15 years before retiring in 2019.

"Without Luol, I wouldn't be sitting here right now.

"He had a great vision, I entrusted in his vision and it all came together."

Agence France-Presse

FIBA: MVP Rubio says World Cup winners Spain 'had biggest heart'

BEIJING -- Basketball World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio paid emotional tribute to his late mother and his "family" of team-mates after a ruthless Spain saw off Argentina to win the title on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Phoenix Suns point guard was once more instrumental for the Spaniards who brushed aside Argentina 95-75 in the final in Beijing.

He had a team-best 20 points and was named Most Valuable Player of the competition.

It is Spain's second World Cup title.

"We made history and we are really proud of that. We had a great tournament," said Rubio, who averaged 16.4 points, six assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

"Just amazing how the tournament has been us as a team. You can tell -- we were the team with the biggest heart and we showed it tonight and during the tournament.

"We feel like this will go down as a memory for us as a family, and that is bigger than the World Cup.

"It's a family for life.

"This tournament is going to follow me for life."

Rubio said that his mother, who died three years ago, had inspired him.

"I know nobody loved me more. Even now she drives me every day, even though she's not here," he said.

Spain's victorious coach Sergio Scariolo, an assistant at NBA champions the Toronto Raptors, said that Rubio had made a "triple A improvement" in recent years.

"A couple of steps more and he'll be a Hall of Fame player," said the Italian.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Mills could lead Boomers to title, says Pierce after U.S. loss

BEIJING - Australia point guard Patty Mills' performances at the basketball World Cup have helped propel his team into a hot favorite for the title after the United States were knocked out by France, according to NBA great Paul Pierce.

The Boomers advanced to their first World Cup semi-final with an 82-70 victory over the Czech Republic with Mills scoring 24 points while adding six assists and four rebounds.

"Australia is certainly playing really (well)," Pierce told ESPN. "Patty Mills is the perfect player for these types of games.

"He's a three point-shooter and been playing for a number of years," Pierce said. "They should be favourite."

The Boomers play Spain, who beat them in the playoff for the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, in the last four.

Argentina, who beat 2015 runners-up Serbia, will meet France, who ended the United States' 13-year and 58-game unbeaten run in tournament play, in Dongguan.

The loss by the Americans, who had won the last two tournaments, was greeted with some surprise, although not entirely unexpected in the United States.

Many of the top NBA players, like LeBron James, James Harden and Steph Curry, were in a wider squad of players nominated for consideration for the World Cup and next year's Olympics in Tokyo, but chose to miss the current tournament in China.

The absence of the game's top players had affected the team, who struggled offensively and were a little too small to match up against other sides' big men, according to ESPN'S Brian Windhorst.

"To win, America needs more of its best," Windhorst wrote.

"It had been 13 years since Team USA didn't win a gold medal, and the importance and the honour has slipped," he said.

"America's top players have to consider their plans for next summer."

The advent of more international players in the NBA and the raising of standards in other leagues was also a factor and indicated the U.S. could not be expected to just turn up and win a global tournament, according to The Ringer's Dan Devine.

"It's worth remembering that the last three Olympic teams featuring those All-Star names still had to sweat against international opponents with lesser NBA-caliber talent, but much more cohesive rosters," Devine wrote on the website, which was founded by sports writer Bill Simmons.

Despite the loss likely to leave a "bitter taste in the mouths of American basketball fans", Sports Illustrated's Michael Shapiro wrote there was no need to panic ahead of the Olympics.

"Just one All-NBA player (Kemba Walker) joined the 2019 FIBA squad," Shapiro wrote. "This version of Team USA will bear no resemblance to the squad that will play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Darren Schuettler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA World Cup: Spain brushes aside Serbia, as Nikola Jokic tossed

BEIJING—Spain secured a fifth successive win in the FIBA World Cup with an impressive 81-69 defeat of Serbia and Argentina matched that with a 91-65 rout of Poland on Sunday.

All four sides had booked their quarterfinal spots with a match to spare and the results mean that Spain will face Poland and Serbia lock horns with Argentina for places in the semifinals.

France plays Australia on Monday for top spot in their pool with both teams already through to the last eight.

Also on Monday, holders the United States meets Brazil and the Czech Republic plays Greece with all four sides in that group still in contention to reach the knockout rounds.

Serbia, which won its opening four games by an average margin of 41 points, looked set to continue the streak after racing into a 20-11 lead late in the first quarter.

An energetic Spanish roster then ground Serbia's offense to a halt and hit a barrage of 3-pointers at the other end to carve out a 42-37 advantage at halftime.

Serbia's Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic was ejected early in the second half for a double technical foul after loud dissent and Spain capitalized on his absence as their lead soared to 63-42.

A late Serbian fightback fell short as a smaller but more agile Spanish team kept collecting offensive rebounds and restricted its rivals to three successful shots from 3-point range from 19 attempts.

"The Spaniards rocked us with their tough defense and ripped our game plan to shreds," Serbia captain Miroslav Raduljica told the Balkan nation's RTS television.

"Their scouts did a great job and we couldn't find a way to turn things around."

Sacramento Kings forward Nemanja Bjelica added: "It was an exceptionally poor performance and we need to regroup quickly."

Ricky Rubio led Spain with 19 points, forward Victor Claver added 14 and Marc Gasol chipped in with 11, cancelling out a valiant solo effort by Serbia guard Bogdan Bogdanovic who had 26 points and 10 rebounds.

The Argentines, meanwhile, ripped into Poland with a flurry of fastbreaks and clinical long-range shooting as forward Marcos Delia nailed 10 of his 12 points in the first quarter.

Their 39-year old forward Luis Scola again rolled back the years as he finished with a game-high 21 points, while Delia scored 12 and Nicolas Brussino added 10. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA World Cup: Poland pulls shocker

Poland are shock quarter-finalists at the World Cup but the team have even grander ambitions -- proving once and for all that theirs is a basketball country.

Under their well-travelled American coach Mike Taylor, the Poles are one of the stories of the tournament in China, or "the new kids on the block" as he put it.

They are back at the World Cup after a 52-year hiatus but are doing much more than merely making up the numbers.

Poland defeated the hosts in overtime in a cauldron-like atmosphere in Beijing in the first round and on Friday made it a scarcely believable four wins in a row with the scalp of old foe Russia.

Argentina's victory over Venezuela hours later confirmed Poland's unlikely place in the last eight.

"It means everything," said Taylor, 47, whose varied coaching career has spanned NBA development teams, posts in Britain and Germany, and a position with the Czech team.

"The country can take self-confidence from the performance of these players. We can compete, we can do it," Taylor said after Poland dismissed Russia 79-74 thanks to a fourth-quarter blast.

"We hope these guys can inspire the next generation."

Name-checking the likes of Serbia, who look easily good enough to topple World Cup holders the United States, Taylor said that there was "tremendous competition" in Europe.

"Other teams have had more achievements and success," he said.

"What we are trying to do is to establish that Poland can do it too."

Taylor's unheralded men are making headlines back home.

News of their win over Russia, coming back from six points behind after the first quarter, even saw a political gathering in Warsaw interrupted by cheers.

Maciej Zielinski, a former player with the national team, called it "an unimaginable event."

"I do not know what I can compare it to -- when we last experienced such a thing," he told Polish media.

Rocky road

In charge since 2014, Taylor may now be greeted with national acclaim when Poland eventually fly home, but it was not long ago that he faced calls for his head.

Two years ago, Poland won only one of five matches at the EuroBasket championship.

Fast forward and he and his men are talking about a potentially pivotal moment for basketball in the country of nearly 40 million people.

"We waited 52 years for this," said Aleksander "Olek" Balcerowski, whose father Marcin stars for Poland's wheelchair basketball team.

The 7ft 1in (215cm) center is the youngest player in the tournament in China at age 18, held up as a symbol of Poland's brighter future.

"We worked so hard to come here to show that Poland can ball," he told the website of governing body FIBA.

"And that's it, we are here to show that Poland is a basketball country."

Poland's last appearance in the Basketball World Cup was in 1967 in Uruguay, where they finished fifth.

The 2019 vintage will end the second group phase against Argentina on Sunday, before taking their already confirmed place in the last eight.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA World Cup: Iran gains crucial win vs Angola in race for Olympic berth

BEIJING—Iran pulled away in the fourth quarter to seize a crucial 71-62 triumph over Angola in the classification phase of the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Friday at Wukesong Arena here.

Ageless guard Sammad Nikkhah Bahrami put up 21 points on 6-of-13 shooting to lift Iran to victory, boosting its hopes of finishing as the top Asian team in the World Cup.

It was Iran's first win of the tournament, after dropping all three of their assignments in Group C including a 73-65 setback to Spain.

Angola, which dealt the Philippines a heartbreaking 84-81 overtime defeat Wednesday night, was down, 48-45, entering the final quarter.

But Bahrami waxed hot from the perimeter, knocking down two 3-pointers to highlight an 11-4 run that gave the Iranians a 59-49 lead with 5:45 to go. Angola would get to within, 60-57, after a 3-pointer from Reggie Moore and another bucket by Divaldo Mbunga, but Iran responded with lay-ups from Hamed Hossein Zadeh and Aaron Geramipoor to regain control.

A 3-point play by Bahrami with 1:17 left gave them a 70-58 lead, and Angola would not threaten again.

Carlos Morais led Angola with 17 points.

Iran wraps up its World Cup campaign against the Philippines on Sunday night.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA World Cup: Americans need OT to survive Turkey scare

Khris Middleton scored 15 points, including the 2 free throws that iced the game, to lead the United States to a 93-92 win in overtime over Turkey in the 2019 FIBA World Cup on Tuesday.

The victory, their second in a row, assured the Americans of a spot in the 2nd round.

They join Australia, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, France, and Lithuania.

Ahead 92-91 after a 3-point play by Cleveland Cavaliers forward Cedi Osman with 35 seconds remaining, Turkey had a chance to put the game away after the Americans were called for 2 fouls on separate plays.

But Dogus Balbay missed both his free throws badly after an unsportsmanlike foul on Brooklyn Nets guard Joe Harris, and Osman muffed his charities, too, off a foul by Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart.

In transition, Milwaukee Bucks swingman Middleton was fouled on the drive by Osman, before knocking down the game-winning free throws.

Celtics playmaker Kemba Walker added 14 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists, and Boston teammate, forward Jayson Tatum, contributed 11 points and 11 rebounds before he was carried out of the floor on the final play because of an apparent injury.

Meanwhile, Brazil advanced in Group F by beating Greece 79-78, leaving reigning NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. to play New Zealand for a ticket to the next round.

Turkey and the Czech Republic, which downed Japan 89-76, dispute the last Round-2 seat in Group E.

Australia, like Serbia, touted as a threat to the US, reached the second round with a Joe Ingles-inspired 81-68 victory over Senegal.

The Boomers defeated Canada in their opener in Group H -- the so-called "Group of Death" -- and recovered from an indifferent start to grind down Senegal with Utah Jazz forward Ingles one assist away from World Cup history.

Australia, who was not at its best, was 36-33 ahead at halftime after narrowly trailing a determined Senegal at the end of the first quarter.

Ingles, who acknowledged that the Australians were "rattled" by Senegal in the first half, was instrumental in the victory with 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists -- just one assist short of the first triple-double in World Cup history.

Patty Mills, the 31-year-old San Antonio Spurs guard, was also in the thick of it for the Boomers, drilling 22 points.

Coach Andrej Lemanis called Senegal the tallest team he had faced and said that his side had been "a little clunky at times" offensively.

"Senegal present some unique challenges with their overall size," he said. — With a report from Agence France-Presse

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA World Cup: Italy improves to 2-0, routs Angola

FOSHAN, China -- Italy made it two wins in a row in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup after defeating Angola, 92-61, in Group D on Monday at the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Center here. 

The Italians were coming off a comfortable 108-62 demolition of the Philippines last Saturday night, and preserved its perfect group round record by cruising to another victory.

Angola was able to stay close to Italy in the early goings, but San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli helped his team pull away, 25-11, at the end of the first frame. 

Triples from Belinelli and Jeff Brooks in the second quarter padded their lead, and the best efforts of Angola’s Leonel Paulo were not enough to get his team to catch up.

A loss by the Philippines to Serbia in the second game of the day will assure the Italians of a spot in the second round of the tournament.

Angola, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 ahead of its game against the Philippines on Wednesday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Canada's World Cup hopes get shot in the arm from Nurse

WASHINGTON -- Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse had barely finished celebrating the team's first NBA title in June when he took on his next formidable challenge -- guiding Canada in the Basketball World Cup.

After just two months on the job the 52-year-old American is hoping to mastermind a surprise by the Canadians when the tournament starts August 31 in China.

Nurse's task is made more demanding, however, because Canada have been placed in a "Group of Death" also containing Senegal, Lithuania and Australia. 

Canada, who will be outsiders to triumph at the World Cup, finished 3-2 in a five-game exhibition tour in Australia, having split two home games against Nigeria.

Following an 84-68 defeat to World Cup holders the United States on Monday in Sydney, Nurse said: "I've learned a lot about them (the players).

"I'm a new coach (for this team) and they're still trying to learn me, I think, and we've made a lot of progress.

"I think our guys have made a lot of strides, play hard, have chemistry."

Nurse won't have the American Kawhi Leonard on his Canada bench, as he did when the Raptors dethroned the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

He will also have to do without Canada's top young player, the 19-year-old NY Knicks forward RJ Barrett, who was a late withdrawal.

But the Canadians have talent and, crucially, a respected leader with international experience.

Nurse was an assistant on the British team for the 2012 London Olympics, and a coach in the British Basketball League for 11 seasons.

He guided championship squads with the Birmingham Bullets in 1996 and Manchester Giants in 2000. He took the BBL Coach of the Year award in 2000 and 2004.

After a return to coaching US NBA developmental clubs, Nurse spent five seasons as a Raptors assistant before taking charge in 2018.

He was just the ninth rookie coach in NBA history to lead a team to the title and the Canadians will be hoping that he can inspire something similar in the national team.

Nurse will also be in position to guide Canada at next year's Tokyo Olympics.

He refused to press the panic button after Monday's loss to the USA, who are chasing a third World Cup title in a row.

"You don't play great every night," he said.

"We just flush this one away and get back to what we're doing." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Walker leads US to easy win over Australia in World Cup warm-up

MELBOURNE -- Boston guard Kemba Walker dazzled with 23 points as the United States ramped up preparations for the defense of their World Cup crown with an impressive 102-86 victory over Australia in a warm-up game Thursday.

Myles Turner added 15 points with 14 rebounds while Donovan Mitchell scored 13 with three assists to build on their recent victory over world number two Spain en-route to China for the tournament that tips off on August 31.

Chris Goulding led Australia with 19 points off the bench, along with San Antonio Spurs' Patty Mills, who had two rebounds and three assists in front of more than 50,000 fans at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium.

"I'm one of the leaders of this team so I just try to do my best for my teammates," said Walker, who was appointed captain for the game.

"I'm super happy to be here. I want to inspire the young kids coming up."

The five-time world champions, ranked number one in the world by international governing body FIBA, started on a 6-0 run before Mills got Australia on the board, with the Americans ending the first quarter 22-20 in front.

They raced to an 11 point advantage before Goulding drained back-to-back threes and Mills hit from deep just before the buzzer to trim the margin to just one point, 44-43, at the half-way mark.

But Team USA then went on a 10-0 spree, reeling off a trio of three-pointers, to assert their authority, finishing three-quarter time comfortably ahead 76-61 before closing it out.

"We are looking to build and grow," said Australia's Mills. "The World Cup is where we want to peak and this was a good hit out for us."

Coach Gregg Popovich's USA squad -- which needs to be trimmed to 12 from the current 13 -- head to the World Cup as favorites despite missing a host of top NBA stars.

LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard all opted out, while others such as Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker are injured, leaving a depleted, but still talented, line-up who have not had much match time together.

While Australia, widely seen as a medal contender, boasts a handful of NBA stars, including Utah Jazz's Joe Ingles and Mills, they too have had to deal with withdrawals.

Philadelphia 76s' Jonah Bolden pulled out this week, joining Ben Simmons and Thon Maker (NBA commitments), Ryan Broekhoff (birth of his child) and Dante Exum (injury) as no-shows .

The two teams play each other again in Melbourne on Saturday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Tucker leaves Team USA due to ankle injury

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is the latest to leave Team USA, doing so Friday because of a minor left ankle sprain suffered in practice Thursday.

He will return to Houston and prepare for Rockets' training camp.

Tucker is the second player to leave due to injury since Team USA held its first organized scrimmage last week in Las Vegas. Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry withdrew on Monday due to his surgically repaired left thumb.

Team USA was set to test itself against Spain on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif., before heading to Australia for three more exhibition games in advance of the FIBA World Cup, which begins Aug. 31 in China.

Tucker, 34, averaged 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while playing in all 82 games for the Rockets for the second consecutive season.

The two withdrawals leave Team USA with 14 players competing for spots on the 12-man roster -- which doesn't have to be finalized until Aug. 29. The remaining participants:

Guards -- De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento; Joe Harris, Brooklyn; Donovan Mitchell, Utah; Marcus Smart, Boston; Kemba Walker, Boston; Derrick White, San Antonio.

Forwards -- Harrison Barnes, Sacramento; Jaylen Brown, Boston; Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers; Khris Middleton, Milwaukee; Jayson Tatum, Boston.

Centers -- Brook Lopez, Milwaukee; Mason Plumlee, Denver; Myles Turner, Indiana.

The 32-team World Cup is scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 15. Team USA plays its first game on Sept. 1 against the Czech Republic in Shanghai.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Gilas PH loses heartbreaker to Croatia

Gilas Pilipinas put up a good fight against 16th-ranked Croatia and lost by just 3 points, 81-78, in its first game in the FIBA World Cup in Spain on Saturday.

The Philippine national team, ranked 34th in FIBA, rallied from a 14-point deficit, 23-9, at the end of the first quarter to bring it down to just 6, 37-31, at the half.

Gilas kept it a close game in the 2nd half and took its first taste of the lead in the last 3 minutes of the 4th quarter after Jeff Chan hit all 3 free throws to make it 67-66 with 2:49 to go.

A drive by naturalized player Andre Blatche upped the lead to 3, 69-66, with 2:20 minutes left.

After a timeout by Croatia, they got 2 straight baskets to lead by 2, 71-69.

A jump shot by Jayson Castro put the score at 71-all with 35 seconds remaining.

The Philippines had a chance to win it but Jeff Chan missed a 3-point attempt at the buzzer to send the game to overtime.

In overtime, it was close throughout but Croatia shot better, especially at the free-throw line, to beat the Philippines.

Castro had a chance to force a 2nd overtime but his 3-point shot at the buzzer missed.

The game marked the Philippines' return to the world championships, 36 years after it last competed in the 1978 FIBA Worlds. -- with reports from TJ Manotoc, ABS-CBN News

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Senate grants Blatche Filipino citizenship

MANILA – Brooklyn Nets forward Andray Blatche was granted Filipino citizenship by the Philippine Senate on Monday, paving the way for his inclusion into the line-up of the national basketball team that will compete in the FIBA World Cup in Spain this August.

The Senate approved on the third and final reading Committee Report No. 27 on House Bill No. 4084, sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara, with 20 affirmative votes, zero negative votes, and zero abstention.

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes welcomed the news, tweeting: "Blatche bill approved on third reading with affirmative vote of 20-0. Thank you Senate! Thank you Congress!"



The 6-foot-11 Blatche was the 49th overall pick by the Washington Wizards in the 2005 NBA Rookie Draft. He currently plays for the Nets, and averaged 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game this year. He has career averages of 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds per game.

The House of Representatives approved Blatche's application last month. Blatche’s papers will now be transmitted to the Office of the President for the chief executive's signing.

"Blatche has openly expressed his desire to play for the Philippines," said Angara. "He is in a position, at age 28, to make significant contributions to Philippine basketball and accordingly, eligible for the conferment of the honor of being a Philippine citizen."

"Blatche is possibly the best center from the NBA that we can get who is willing to shun more lucrative offers now and in the future just to be part of our national team," he added.

Blatche, according to a report by Joaquin Henson of The Philippine Star, has also submitted a sworn affidavit reaffirming his commitment to Gilas Pilipinas.

"It would be very intriguing to learn how to communicate with the (Filipino) language. However, my focus will be on playing basketball and interacting with my teammates and the fans of the Philippines," Blatche said in his sworn statement.

"I want to play for Gilas Pilipinas as I saw them last year, when they qualified for the World Cup due to placing in the Asian Championship FIBA Games," he added. "It is exciting for me to have the opportunity to be able to participate in my offseason."

Blatche is not the first foreign player to be granted Philippine citizenship. Americans Chip Engelland, Jeff Moore, and Dennis Still were naturalized in the 1980s to help the Philippines win the Asian Basketball Confederation title in 1985.

More recently, Marcus Douthit was naturalized in 2011 and played a huge role in Gilas' silver-medal finish in the FIBA Asia Championship last year.

"We took a leap of faith when we naturalized Marcus Douthit, and that leap of faith paid dividends. We are hoping this would be a similar case with Andray Blatche," said Angara.

Angara also dismissed concerns that having naturalized players in the national team will be detrimental to local players.

"Since our local players will be playing against bona fide professional NBA players, they will be forced to improve," Angara pointed out. "It's like we're putting them in a competitive atmosphere. Great players make other players better."

The Philippines is drawn into Group B in the FIBA World Cup, along with Senegal, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Greece, and Croatia.

The FIBA World Cup will be held from August 30 to September 14 in Spain, with six venues in six host cities.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Kobe tells Gilas: Keep working as a team

MANILA, Philippines -- Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant had a few words of advice for the Gilas Pilipinas national team after their silver medal finish in the recently concluded 27th FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship.

Bryant, who is in Manila to promote Lenovo mobile phones, told Gilas Pilipinas to continue to keep playing as a team.

"Just continue to play together," he said during a press conference at Resorts World Monday. "It's a team sport. It's about how individuals work together."

Bryant stressed that playing as a team will allow Gilas to hide some of their weaknesses as individuals.

Bryant, a five-time NBA champion, also advised the national team to "tune out the noise and the fanfare" and instead focus on the task at hand, which is the FIBA World Cup in Spain next year.

Gilas' second place finish in the FIBA Asia tournament allowed them to clinch a berth in the World Cup next year, marking their return to the world stage for the first time since 1973.

The United States have already qualified to the World Cup although it remains to be seen if Bryant will still play for Team USA.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gilas bows to Iran in FIBA Asia finals

MANILA, Philippines -- An undermanned Gilas Pilipinas put together a valiant effort before succumbing to a bigger, taller Iran team, 85-71, in the championship game of the 27th FIBA Asia Men's Basketball Championship.

Playing without naturalized player Marcus Douthit, Gilas briefly led in the opening period and kept within striking distance until the final quarter.

But Iran, powered by center Hamed Hadadi, simply overpowered the Filipinos in the final frame, wherein they finally took control of the game.

It was Iran's third Asian championship in the last four years.

Both Iran and the Philippines, along with third-placer Korea, earned berths to the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com