Asian Games glory beckons for Gilas Pilipinas.
Thanks to a herculean performance by Justin Brownlee, the Philippines is a win away from the Asian Games men’s basketball gold as it faces Jordan in the final in Hangzhou, China, on Friday, October 6.
Brownlee dropped 17 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter of their come-from-behind 77-76 win against a stunned China to send the Nationals to the Asian Games final for the first time since 1990.
Putting the team on his back, Brownlee went 5-of-5 from beyond the arc in the final salvo as the Filipinos guaranteed themselves of a medal after a 25-year wait since the Philippine Centennial Team bagged bronze in 1998.
Another win will see the Philippines crown itself as Asian Games champion for the first time since the 1962 edition, where the team led by the late great Caloy Loyzaga completed a men’s basketball four-peat for the country.
But standing in Gilas Pilipinas’ way is a formidable Jordan crew spearheaded by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.
With Hollis-Jefferson averaging 19 points, 5.2 rebounds, 4.2 assists, and 1.8 steals, the Falcons won all of their first five games of the tournament decisively by a margin of 24.2 points.
Jordan is also the only team to beat the Philippines by way of an 87-62 rout in the group stage.
Now assured of their first-ever Asian Games medal after booting out Chinese Taipei in the semifinals, 90-71, the Falcons seek to complete their unbeaten run by repeating over the Filipinos, this time for all the marbles.
Expect Brownlee, though, to pull out all the stops as he tries to win his second gold medal with Gilas Pilipinas after powering its redemption campaign in the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May.
Game time is 8 pm.