Lebanon celebrates after securing its first victory in the 2023 Fiba World Cup. -FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – Lebanon has given Gilas Pilipinas’ Olympic hopes a boost by defeating Ivory Coast, 94-84, in the classification phase of the 2023 Fiba World Cup at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta.
Despite Asia Cup MVP Wael Arakji being sidelined with an ankle injury, Amir Saoud stepped up with 29 points and eight assists for Lebanon. This victory put Lebanon on equal footing with China and Japan in their quest to qualify for next year’s Paris Olympics.
In an impressive performance, Omari Spellman sank a crucial three-point shot with only 53 seconds left, ending the game with 29 points. His shot hit the front end of the rim and bounced off the glass before going in, giving Lebanon an 89-84 lead that ultimately broke Ivory Coast’s resolve.
Jean Philippe Dally contributed 21 points, and Patrick Tape added 15 for Ivory Coast. The loss opened their journey in the phase where rankings 17 to 32 will be determined.
Gilas Pilipinas faces added pressure after China’s breakthrough 83-76 victory over Angola in Group M. Gilas is currently playing catch-up to South Sudan on Thursday evening.
Gilas, who lost all three of their games in the initial group stage, aims to become the top Asian team to secure an automatic Olympic berth in Paris next year.
Japan currently leads the race in Group O with a 2-2 record following their 86-77 win against Venezuela. China and Lebanon (Group P) have both improved their records to 1-3.
In the other Group P match, Iran faces France, hoping to secure their first win after going winless in the opening phase along with Jordan (0-3).
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
