Gilas Pilipinas drops close loss to Georgia but still marches on to FIBA OQT semis

MANILA, Philippines – It was a loss that somehow felt very much like a win.

Gilas Pilipinas secured its place in the semifinals of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga, Latvia, despite a 96-94 defeat to Georgia on Thursday, July 4.

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Coming off an upset of world No. 6 Latvia, the Philippines finished second in Group A with a 1-1 card to stay on track of ending a decades-long absence in Olympic basketball since it last competed in the 1972 Munich Games.