Brazil roar back to beat Philippines 71-60 in Riga and reach FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament final
Brazil’s men's basketball erased a 10-point deficit to beat the Philippines 71-60 in the semi-final of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) Latvia on Saturday (6 July) for a shot at a Paris 2024 berth.
Bruno Caboclo played a starring role in his side’s victory contributing 15 points and 11 rebounds with stalwart Marcelinho Huertas also putting in a mammoth effort.
The Brazilians will meet hosts Latvia in Sunday’s final in Riga, hoping to earn a spot in the Olympic tournament for the first time since Rio 2016 on home soil.
Brazil got off to a flying start with a 5-0 lead before the Gilas Pilipinas, who were without Kai Sotto due to a rib injury, found their groove to get their noses in front.
This gave the Philippines the confidence boost they needed, and they soon moved eight points clear (18-10) with Dwight Ramos inflicting the most damage in the first quarter with 11 points.
The underdogs finished the first period in the driving seat with a 10-point advantage (22-12) over the three-time Olympic bronze medallists.
The Brazilians came out swinging at the start of the second quarter reducing the deficit to seven points (26-19) before the Philippines reclaimed their lead courtesy of an on-fire Justin Brownlee. Brownlee has been a revelation throughout the tournament – averaging 27 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists – and carried the form into the do-or-die semi-final.
Brazil launched a late charge in the second quarter to get within six points (33-27) of the Philippines at the half-time break.
The momentum swung in Brazil’s favour as they fought their way within a point before taking the lead for the first time since the first quarter courtesy of a Leo Meindl three-pointer.
Brazil’s more aggressive offensive effort coupled with better defensive coverage of Brownlee ultimately gave them the edge in the third quarter where they scored 24 points to the Philippines' six.
The third quarter saw Brazil turn a six-point deficit into a 12-point advantage (51-39) going into the fourth and final period.
The Gilas clawed their way back to withing seven points, but Brazil absorbed the pressure before going clear again as they ended the Asian team's hopes of reaching a first Olympic Games since Munich 1972.
“It was a helluva ride for us and it was a dream come true for a lot of the guys being able to play in this tournament and have another shot at getting to the Olympics,” the Philippines’ Chris Newsome told Olympics.com.
“We fell short, but we still hope we made our country proud. There is so much more we have to look forward to because we have a batch of young guys.”