Tonight is a crucial game for team Gilas Pilipinas as it battles Puerto Rico, we need to win to keep our hopes alive of getting into the Round of 16. Gilas has lost three of its games, two of those in heartbreaking fashion so every Pinoy basketball fan is now waiting for that big win.
This is the third time that the Philippines will go head to head with the guys from Puerto Rico. The first time was in the 1959 FIBA World Championships (January 16-31) which was held in Chile. The two countries were in Group C along with Bulgaria and Uruguay. Puerto Rico won by 13 points over the PH squad led by the legendary Carlos Loyzaga. The Philippines finished at 8th place when it beat Uruguay in the 2nd round.
The second time the two former Spanish colonies faced each other was in the 1972 Munich Olympics (now largely overshadowed by the massacre that happened there), where we loss again, this time by 20 points. The Philippines settled for 13th place (Japan was the only other Asian country and we triumphed over them). Incidentally the only win by the Philippines in the group stage was over Senegal (our next competitor after tonight’s tiff with Puerto Rico).
Phillipines plays with more heart and relentlessness than any other team in the FIBA World Cup. Trailing Argentina 79-76 in 4th qtr.
— MarkJonesESPN (@MarkJonesESPN) September 1, 2014
So will the third be the charm for Team Gilas Pilipinas? We sure hope so. Laban Pilipinas. Let’s show them what PUSO is all about.
UPDATE: We lost by 4 points to Puerto Rico (73-77).
Till my next rant. Peace and Stay Fresh Pilipinas (or Filipinas)
Tadonggeniuskuno 