These games may leave fans in either heartbreak or jubilation.
Every possession counts. Game isn’t over until the final buzzer. Bilog ang bola.
All these cliché basketball sayings, as hard as it is to admit, sometimes feel empty. When a strong top seed faces a lowly-seeded team, chances are you don’t need to see all hundreds of possessions in a four-game series to find out who’s the better squad.
That’s not the case in the FIBA World Cup—where the best 32 teams in the globe are out to prove they belong, and a tournament format that will tout exciting group phases and a knockout final round.
Upsets may just be inevitable. So, we listed five matchups that feature the strong but underestimated, the underdogs who can ruin the hopes of contenders.
1. Montenegro vs Lithuania (Group D)
Lithuania, ranked 8th in the world, is looking like the runaway top dog in Group D which also features Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro. Lithuanian big man and New Orleans Pelican Jonas Valanciunas, however, knows that the Montenegrins pose a real threat.
“I feel like Montenegro is showing some high-class basketball. It ain’t gonna be easy playing those guys,” JV told FIBA in a previous interview.
Hearing that statement is no surprise to Filipino fans, given how the Balkan squad performed impressively against Gilas in a recent tune-up game.
Nikola Vucevic, an NBA big man himself playing for the Chicago Bulls, is ready to give Valanciunas the business on August 29 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
2. Japan vs Australia (Group E)
Playing in their home court will certainly provide the Japanese a boost in their group phase campaign. On the 29th of August at the Okinawa Arena, the Yuta Watanabe-led squad will face the mighty Australians.
They are ready to surprise the locals from the Land Down Under with shooting, agility, and energy—including those of the fans.
Australia, coached by the astute Brian Goorjian, will look to show poise. it’s not like they are playing in a completely alien land, too. Recall that the Australians clinched their first-ever Olympic medal in basketball in the Tokyo Olympics (bronze). So, they’re quite familiar with the Land of the Rising Sun. Can they resist the hungry Japanese hoopers?
3. South Sudan vs China (Group B)
South Sudan is the youngest FIBA member nation among all 32. This year, they are making their debut in the FIBA World Cup. They are certainly not just happy to participate, besides, they’ve got the goods.
China does have the years of world basketball experience compared to the Africans. The world no. 62 squad, however, made its presence felt in the FIBA African Qualifiers, losing only one of the 12 games they played.
The 27th-ranked Chinese ballers are also looking at a team that has former NBA All-Star Luol Deng serving as basketball federation president. Expect the South Sudanese to only give out haymakers on August 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
4. Lebanon vs Latvia (Group H)
Filipinos have developed a soft spot for Wael Arakji because of how smoothly the man plays. We certainly know him for making things hard for Gilas Pilipinas. And the Lebanese have a chance of upsetting a European power in Latvia with the FIBA Asia Cup 2022 MVP as floor general.
With Kristaps Porzingis out for Latvia, another NBA vet in Davis Bertans will seek to carve himself a name as one of the best players in the FIBA World Cup. But can he deliver?
He needs to because Arakji and crew will be out to complete their upset hopes. We’ll see what happens on opening day, August 25.
5. Dominican Republic vs Italy (Group A)
Gilas Pilipinas is definitely the team to watch in Group A, with Jordan Clarkson, AJ Edu, and Kai Sotto all ready to make noise—so as not to cede the spotlight to other star-studded teams playing in Manila.
Dominican Republic, however, is starting to get onto the radars of strong teams, even climbing the top 10 of FIBA’s recent Power Rankings. With Minnesota Timberwolves star Karl-Anthony Towns leading the charge, alongside Golden State Warrior Lester Quiñones and national team veterans Victor Liz and Angel Delgado, Dominicana surprised Canada and kept it close with Spain in their recent friendlies.
On August 27, KAT and co. will look to prove they can give problems to the world no. 10—and then win. The Italians will indeed get their hands full.
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