The game between Gilas Pilipinas and Jordan at the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman. (Photo courtesy of FIBA)
MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas banked on a solid second half to shut down Jordan, 74-66, handing the host their first home loss since 2018 as the campaign in the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers began early Friday (Philippine Time) at the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman.
Down 37-41 at halftime, Gilas took charge in the third quarter, outscoring Jordan, 21-10, to take a 58-51 lead to the fourth.
Gilas would extend the lead to as much as 13, 71-58, with around three minutes left in the game before Jordan finished the game strong to make it a more respectable deficit.
Kai Sotto made up for his defensive struggles against Ahmad Al-Dwairi with a solid offensive game of 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting including 2-for-3 from beyond the arc on top of seven rebounds, two assists, and two blocks to lead Gilas, which moved up to 4-3 in Group E play.
Ray-Ray Parks sizzled from long range in the first half to keep Gilas afloat on the road and finished with 13 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Scottie Thompson, tasked to play starting point guard in the absence of Kiefer Ravena, came close to a triple-double with eight points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists.
Dar Tucker made 23 points, three rebounds, and two assists, while Al-Dwairi added 18 points, 16 rebounds, and three assists for Jordan, which fell to 3-4. (PNA)
