SAVING its best for last.

That’s what Gilas Pilipinas did opposite China last night in the Group Phase of the FIBA World Cup at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

With nothing to gain but an ounce of national pride, Gilas finally hit the right chords in turning back China, 96-75, before an appreciative hometown crowd at the Coliseum

Crucial for Gilas was a searing third-quarter attack led by Jordan Clarkson who blew the game wide open with successive triples to frustrate China.

Clarkson’s fourth hit from beyond the arc gave the Philippines a comfortable 23-point lead at 73-50 moments before the end of the third.

And with it, Gilas coach Chot Reyes gave Clarkson a breather through the first five minutes of play in the fourth canto.

Without Clarkson on the floor, Gilas Pilipinas even managed to push the lead further to 26 points at 83-57 with Rhenz Abando, Kai Sotto, and Scottie Thompson taking over the scoring chores.

Reyes fielded JC once more in the final 4:11 of play as China was visibly in the act of launching a counter-attack to turn the game around.

But a short five-point burst laced with a triple was all that China could do before Dwight Ramos capped the Nationals’ much-needed win with a mid-range jumper for the final count.

The Nationals’ first victory in five games in the biggest gathering of basketball greats of the world also came as a fitting birthday gift to Ramos who celebrated his 25th birthday hard at work on the court.

Ramos was born on September 2, 1998, in the United States in West Covina, California to Artemio Ramos from Ilocos Sur and Liliya Ramos from Russia.

Before Gilas faced China smarting a 0-4 win-loss slate, Congressman Joel Chua of the Third District of Manila, urban poor champion and sports advocate, extended his gratitude and admiration to the entire Gilas Pilipinas of their team effort in the FIBA World Cup but a lot of Filipinos, and the lawmaker himself, find it hard to hide their collective frustrations over Gilas’ 0-4 start.

“AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos, and Jordan Clarkson have consistently displayed exceptional skills on the court, deserving all the recognition they receive. Edu and Ramos, in particular, have showcased their talents to the world, including the NBA and various leagues in Europe and Asia,” Chua said.

“The Gilas head coach (Chot Reyes) mentioned that their goal had always been to secure a ticket to the Olympics. However, it seems that this goal didn’t fully resonate with fans. The reality is that the basketball prowess of the Gilas Pilipinas team has not yet reached the same level as the countries that advanced to Round 2 of the FIBA World Cup.”

A direct ticket to the 2024 Paris Olympics through the FIBA conclave is already out of reach for Gilas Pilipinas.

However, with their recent blowout win over China, the national team might get an invitation to join two more Olympic Qualifying Tournaments before the 2024 Olympics, slated from July 26 to August 11, 2024, in Paris, France.

According to sports pundits, the second-best Asian team will be able to join the qualifying tournament with Japan as the best Asian team in the World Cup to make it as they have a 2-2 win-loss slate.

China and Lebanon have one win apiece against three losses.

Gilas, Iran and Jordan all are winless.

But now the Philippines just saved itself from falling into the predicament that befell Colombia in 1982, when the hosts were not able to win a single game.

“Gilas is not at the caliber of the teams that advanced to Round 2. This bitter truth needs to be accepted. Hence, Gilas found itself in classification games with teams that had a 0-3 win-loss record from Round 1,” Chua added.

He also said that “critiques from Filipino fans about perceived flawed decisions and subpar performances cannot be dismissed. While Pinoy fans may not be team owners or corporate sponsors, government subsidies for the national team primarily come from taxes and approved budgets. Although these subsidies are modest, they are largely funded by taxpayers.”

The lawmaker who is a lawyer by profession stressed that Pinoy basketball fans are taxpayers, which grants them the right to demand accountability from Gilas coaches, players, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

“Additionally, fans have invested their hard-earned money in purchasing expensive tickets to watch FIBA World Cup games live and subscribing to pay-per-view cable TV broadcasts.”

In ending, Chua said that “the nation requires a visionary and transparent development plan, as well as an action plan for the Paris Olympics. This plan should include extended preparation periods, more time for player bonding, and increased cooperation from support institutions.”

But more importantly, he said, “Gilas requires new leadership and a fresh generation of coaches with extensive international experience. Anything less would be insufficient.”