LIVE UPDATES: Philippines vs Italy – FIBA World Cup 2023

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas needs nothing short of a miracle against Italy.

Going up against a fancied Italian side that has never lost to an Asian team in the FIBA World Cup, the Philippines will try to do the improbable in a bid to save its Group A bid at the Araneta Coliseum on Tuesday, August 29.

A win of at least 13 points will not only keep the Filipinos in close contention for the Paris Olympics berth reserved for the highest-placed Asian squad but also put them in a favorable position to reach the second round.

But doing so requires all the right things to go for the Philippines, which sits at the bottom of Group A with a 0-2 record.

According to analytical company Opta Sports, Italy has won all of its 11 games against Asian teams in the World Cup, the last coming against the Philippines four years ago in China.

While Italy has been proven to be far from invincible after it surprisingly fell prey to the Dominican Republic, the loss only motivates the Azzurri to vent their ire on the Filipinos with their World Cup fate on the line.

Also, the Italians have not lost multiple games in the preliminary round of a single World Cup in nearly six decades or since they dropped all their three group stage matches in 1967.

The Philippines, on the other hand, has not won a World Cup game in almost a decade since it beat Senegal in overtime in the 2014 edition.

Enduring a seven-game World Cup skid, the Filipinos will once again lean on Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson as they try to pull off the biggest upset of the tournament.

Game time is 8 pm. – Rappler.com