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The Group Stage of the FIBA World Cup 2023 has been quite exciting for basketball fans all around the world. One particular group that has provided plenty of on-court drama is Group A where Italy, Angola, Dominican Republic, and the Philippines are placed.
Every single game among Group A teams have been close matchups that went down to the wire, or had incredible comebacks that left fans stunned.
Each team has already played two games and it is evident that Karl-Anthony Towns and the Dominicans are at the top of this group. They will be one of the two teams that will advance to the next round.
However, the question of who will join Dominican Republic as the second team to move on from the opening stage still lingers and fans are wondering whether the Philippines, the host country, can beat Team Italy and move on to the next round.
The short answer to that question is yes, the Philippines does have a chance of advancing, but it is not as simple as them pulling off a win in their next game.
What has to happen for the Philippines to advance to the next round at FIBA World Cup 2023?
As it stands currently, Team Philippines is the only winless team in Group A. This is not an ideal situation for them but it doesn't mean that they have already been eliminated from contention at the FIBA World Cup.
If they hope to move on to the next round of the FIBA World Cup, two things need to happen in the last set of games.
First, Team Philippines needs to hope that Angola will lose to the Dominicans in their matchup. Should this happen, the Angolans will fall to 1-2, giving the Philippines a chance to tie the team standings.
Next, they will need to beat Team Italy who is currently at 1-1, same as Angola. Should Jordan Clarkson and Team Philippines successfully pull off an upset against the number 10 ranked team in the world, Group A will have three teams at 1-2.
Thus, a tie-breaker will go into effect through the point system. Team Italy has a +14 in points while the Philippines is at -10 heading into their matchup. This means that the Philippine National team will need to win by more than 13 points if they hope to advance.
The Filipinos certainly have a tall task ahead of them but they might just have it in them to pull off a miracle in front of their home crowd.
Also read: Why is Dairis Bertans out of the FIBA World Cup 2023? Reason for sudden absence explored.
Guess the Lakers players!
