Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide, no escape from reality
Open your eyes, look up to the skies and see
It was a dream turned into reality for Gilas which started at 12 midnight for Philippine fans. It was a nightmare for those at home in Riga.
Gilas Pilipinas made history in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament with the upset of world number 6 Latvia right at their home, 89-80.
Technically, the hosts are still through to the semifinals. But we'd like to savor this shocker a bit for more the Philippines.
[ALSO READ: FIBA OQT: Gilas Pilipinas scenarios against Georgia to reach semifinals]
Here are a few takeaways from that game by the numbers.
It's been 84 64 years...
The Philippines didn't have to wait as long as Rose Dawson.
Justin Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas broke a 64-year skid to claim their first win against a European team in a FIBA competition since 1960.
The last time it happened was in the 1960 Olympic Games, as the Philippines beat Spain, 84-82.
Third time's the charm
In Gilas Pilipinas' third consecutive FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament appearance, they finally made a breakthrough with a victory.
Back in the 2016 OQT held in Manila, Nando de Colo and France defeated Gilas Pilipinas, 93-84.
Andray Blatche's 30-point production was still not enough to hold off the Tall Blacks--and New Zealand won, 89-80.
France eventually won that Olympic berth.
Flash forward to the 2020 OQT in Serbia, coach Tab Baldwin saw another chance.
A young Ateneo Blue Eagles core put up an impressive fight against Serbia, but the Eagles in Europe prevailed, 83-76.
Victor Liz and the Dominican Republic proved to be too much for the Philippines, 94-67.
Serbia lost to Italy for that Olympic berth.
In Riga, Latvia was undeniably daunting. They finished fifth in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and the Latvians had just demolished Georgia.
Who would have thought the Philippines could pull off the upset right off the bat?
8-0
The shocker started the second the ball game started.
Kai Sotto won the jump ball, leading to a June Mar Fajardo alley-oop.
The Kaiju got himself a basket after a Justin Brownlee pick-up. He had a free throw too.
Then it was JB's turn to shoot a fadeaway three.
In almost two minutes of action, Gilas Pilipinas went on a 8-0 run against world number six Latvia in their home turf. That is wild.
33 for #32
JB was crazy efficient on the floor. In 37 minutes of action, #32 Justin Brownlee tallied an efficiency of 33.
That's 26 points from eight field goals--three of them coming from his trusty three-point range. Oh, and he was seven of seven from the charity stripe too.
He also had nine rebounds, nine assists, a steal, and a block.
No wonder Kai calls him the "Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball."
[ALSO READ: 'Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball': Kai Sotto gives ultimate compliment to Justin Brownlee after Gilas upset of Latvia in FIBA OQT]
10/42
The Latvians only sank 10 of 42 triples in the game--a miserable 23.8%
In comparison, Latvia shot 12 of 29 three-pointers against Georgia, a better 41.4% percentage.
They made an average of 13.8 out of 32.6--or 42.1%--during the FIBA World Cup.
Wanted: Mr. 55
So what happened to Latvia?
Their key playmaker--Arturs Zagars--was notably on the bench during the whole affair.
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone himself said it was huge for them that Zagars did not play.
Magic number 18
This is the threshold for Gilas Pilipinas.
They would now have to either win against Georgia, or minimize the deficit to 18 or less in case of a loss.
If the Filipinos fail to do so, they would be eliminated from the OQT.
Will Mr. 23 and world number 23 please stand up?
Latvia was able to demolish Georgia--who was notably without their veteran power forward Tornike Shengelia, who was forced to sit out due to muscle fatigue before they arrived in Riga.
With their Olympic campaign on the line, Shengelia and the rest of world number 23 Georgia would be desperate to end their nightmare in Riga and stay alive against the Philippines.
Gilas Pilipinas, meanwhile, would just have to keep making their dreams a reality.
[ALSO READ: In a FIBA OQT stunner, Gilas Pilipinas Just Did It. Why not Just Do It again... and again?]
Gilas Pilipinas will take on Georgia this Thursday at 8:30 p.m. It will air LIVE on One Sports, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.