'Tough one again': Clarkson insists Gilas keeps competing amid fresh loss to South Sudan
MANILA, Philippines — Jordan Clarkson and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas absorbed their fourth loss in just as many games in the 2023 FIBA World Cup as they fell flat in the classification phase against South Sudan, 87-68, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Thursday.
With the Filipinos now also out of contention for the sole outright Olympic berth for Asia, Clarkson’s morale seemed to take a hit.
“Tough one again,” said Clarkson after the game.
“I feel like I’m coming back and saying the same thing. Tough game.”
A slow start saw the Nationals trail by as much as 21 points in the wire-to-wire loss, and while good adjustments at the halftime break helped them get within four, 60-56, early in the fourth quarter, they just couldn’t sustain the momentum.
“We’re playing a hard fight. That’s all I could say right now. The team is competing,” said Clarkson.
When asked why they fell short of the fightback, Clarkson said the team was unable to shift after South Sudan’s response.
“They were making shots. We made an adjustment which is the reason why we started coming back in the game,” said the Utah Jazz guard.
“They made another adjustment and finished the game out,” he continued.
Gilas now has the tall task of finishing strong and avoiding another winless campaign in the World Cup when they face Asian rival China, which earlier won against Angola, on Saturday.
Currently, Gilas Pilipinas is on a nine-game losing streak in the tournament dating back from their 0-5 record in the 2019 edition.
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