Croatia opened Group B play at the 2014 FIBA World Cup with a 81-78 overtime victory against a Philippines squad that posed a much bigger challenge than expected.
This year's tournament marks the first time since 1978 that the Gilas Pilipinas is taking part in the high-profile international showcase. They hosted that edition of the event, but lost all eight games. Their best result was a bronze medal in 1954.
Despite the extended absence, the Philippines put together a strong performance against a solid Croatia side. The European squad advanced from pool play four years ago and put itself on pace to do so again by opening with a victory. Its best World Cup result is also a bronze, coming in 1994.
Early on it looked like the game was going to turn into a blowout. Croatia burst out to a 23-9 lead after the first quarter. The efficient offensive effort, led by Bojan Bogdanovic, was in stark contrast to the struggles the Gilas Pilipinas had at the outset.
Derek Bodner of Draft Express noted the Croatian swingman, who's set to join the Brooklyn Nets next season, is not the player drafted in the first round by ...
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Article written by Tim Daniels
Croatia vs. Gilas Pilipinas: Score and Twitter Reaction for FIBA World Cup 2014
August 30th, 2014 by Tim Daniels Leave a reply »
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