AS top teams around the world take the spotlight in the FIBA World Cup 2023, much of the attention is also being drawn to the race on which will become the best placed Asian team at the end of the tournament.
Such a finish would grant the team an automatic berth to the 2024 Paris Olympics — a goal that is surely in the mind of every Asian team in the tournament.However, opening day didn't look too kindly on the region mates. So far, all Asian teams have dropped their first assignments, with Gilas Pilipinas being the lone team that managed to put up a fight and avoid being blown out by higher-ranked opponents from the Americas and Euro qualifiers.
The same couldn't be said for its Asian neighbors. Co-host Japan came the closest to Gilas Pilipinas' feat, being able to put up a fight in the early going against Germany.The Akatsuki Five, even after splendid performances from Yuta Watanabe and Yudai Baba, still absorbed an 18-point defeat though, 81-63, at the hands of the Mo Wagner-led Deutch. Jordan was also one of the other Asian teams that held its ground, but stunningly lost steam in the end.
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