Georgia defeated the Philippines national team by 96:94 in the final round of the Olympic Games qualifying tournament group stage.
However, it wasn’t enough for Georgia to advance to the next stage, as they needed a win by 19 points or more after the Philippines convincingly defeated Latvia yesterday.
It should be noted that unlike the game against Latvia, Georgia’s coach Aleksandar Dzikic had Tornike Shengelia available for this game.
The match started with Georgia seemingly poised to easily achieve the required 19-point margin. They took a commanding 16:0 lead, and the Philippines struggled to find any solutions. However, the Philippines managed to regroup by the end of the first quarter, which ended 28:17 in favor of Georgia.
Georgia once again started the quarter strongly, quickly extending their lead to +20 with a 12:3 run (40:20). However, the Philippines immediately responded with an 11:0 run to somewhat contain the damage. The first half saw a competitive game, with Aleksandar Dzikic’s team leading by a solid 12-point lead (45:33) at halftime.
🔒 Mamu is locked in with 14 PTS in the first half!#FIBAOQT
— FIBA (@FIBA) July 4, 2024
📺 https://t.co/ranzibgpnf
💻 https://t.co/7XnyzSmcc1 pic.twitter.com/h4NCaWhxVs
The third quarter was crucial for the final outcome of this group, as the Philippines won this period by a significant margin of 31:19, leveling the score going into the last ten minutes of the game. They did this despite losing one of their best players, Kai Sotto, to injury late in the second quarter. The Georgians had no answer for the inspired performance of Justin Brownlee, who had already scored 26 points after 30 minutes of play.
In the final quarter, Georgia tried their best, led by Alexander Mamukelashvili, but the deficit was too large to overcome in just ten minutes. The Filipinos found the right solutions in offense whenever needed, ultimately deservedly securing their spot in the semifinals.
The top scorer for Georgia was Alexander Mamukelashvili with 26 points, followed by Goga Bitadze with 21 points. Tornike Shengelia also played well with 17 points.
For the Philippines, Justin Brownlee led the team with 28 points, supported by Dwight Ramos with 16 points.
Latvia finished on top of the group, while the Philippines finished second due to a poorer points difference. This group will cross over with the one featuring Montenegro, Brazil, and Cameroon.
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