Jordan Clarkson played well against the Dominican Republic, but it wasn’t enough to get the win in the opening match of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
It was a true thriller in the Manila Philippine Arena in front of 38,115 fans, which was the biggest crowd in FIBA World Cup tournament history. It beat the previous record by nearly 6,000 fans. Those in attendance got to watch a heavyweight battle between Clarkson and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Clarkson was indisputably the leader of the offense for the Gilas, scoring 28 points before eventually getting called for his fifth foul of the game. But he was called for his fifth foul late in the fourth quarter, which was deflating for the Philippines.
Jordan Clarkson fouled out… It’s over for the Philippines 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/7E5s2NTXLn
— DunkLeague (@DunkLeagueNBA) August 25, 2023
This was a really poorly-timed foul from Clarkson, who was clearly the glue to the offense for his national team.
The Gilas struggled to score in the closing minutes after Clarkson became ineligible and when it was all said and done, it was the Dominican Republic that finished on top.
Towns finished with 26 points and 10 rebounds, recording three offensive boards during the contest. It was his first official game for his national team since 2013.
Clarkson and the Philippines will next take on Angola on Aug. 27 and then Italy on Aug. 29. They will have a tough road ahead to get out of Group A and to potentially qualify for the 2024 Olympics in France, but they are still within contention.
