The heartbreaks of Gilas Pilipinas continue even in the classification games of the Asian Games basketball competition as China stomped its dominance on the Philippine team with a 78-71 win in Incheon, South Korea.
After a close first quarter, China began pulling away in the second and extended its lead to eight, 42-34, at halftime.
The lead even ballooned to 17, 55-38, with six minutes left in the third.
Gilas, however, began crawling back later in the period as the team chopped the China lead to 12 at the end of the third, 65-53.
Gilas then opened the fourth quarter with six straight points to cut the lead further to six, 65-59.
After five straight China points, Gilas responded with seven consecutive of its own to come to within four, 66-70.
But eight straight points from. capped by a dunk sealed the win for China, who will battle Qatar, an 87-78 winner over Mongolia in the other consolation game, for fifth place.
The Filipinos, already assured of their worst Asian Games basketball finish ever, will face the Mongolians for seventh spot.
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