PASAY CITY (Philippines) - Kai Sotto came up with the biggest stop of the night as the Philippines escaped Jordan in overtime, 82-81, to stop their 4-game skid in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, Friday.
Back with the men's team after nearly 2 full years, the towering big man was at the right place at the right time and swatted away Abdullah Olajuwon's attempt to steal their thunder with a layup just before time expired.
Big comeback
That huge play also preserved his own efforts, in which he finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds plus 2 blocked shots as he helped out in Gilas' comeback after falling to the Falcons' hot 26-8 start into the match.
Moreover, that denial saved the heroics of his teammates CJ Perez and Kevin Quiambao, both of which took turns in spearheading the massive second-half reversal that made the bout one of Window 4's best thus far.
Perez himself finished with 16 points, including 4 straight to send the game into extra time before continuing his exploits in OT, capped by a huge assist to 'KQ' for the go-ahead trifecta that rocked the Mall of Asia Arena.
Quiambao, for his part, finished with 14 points, which was also highlighted by a pair of poster dunks as the talented winger stepped up after peer Carl Tamayo went down with an ankle injury early in the third quarter.
Tamayo left with 8 points, spoiling what could've been a big game for him as the sweet-shooting forward helped the home team get close in the second quarter, signaling the start of a down-the-wire affair.
On track again
And together, they brought the Philippines to the win column for the first time since a 2-game sweep of Guam back in Window 1 last November, in the process renewing their bid of qualifying for Qatar next year.
The narrow win somehow alleviated as well the pain from their previous losses particularly to New Zealand, including the 106-102 double OT result back in Window 3 last July 3 at the Spark Arena in Auckland.
"It was fantastic. It was fun to be a part of. It was fun to be on this side of it, winning. I know how tough it is - against New Zealand we were on the other side of it, in an overtime game," reflected head coach Tim Cone.
Gilas improved to 3-4 following the win and aside from the aforementioned troika, the others also contributed solidly. Dwight Ramos had 14 points and 5 rebounds, while AJ Edu added 9 points and 10 rebounds.
Ramos not only delivered on offense but on defense, too, taking turns with veteran guards Perez and Scottie Thompson in defending Jalen Harris and Freddy Ibrahim after the tandem came out firing early.
Best served cold
The said duo led Team Jordan to the aforementioned lead and kept them in control with a 44-39 lead entering the break, with Ibrahim tallying 15 and Harris with 11 to his name before they got checked heavily.
Ibrahim finished with 22 points behind a 4-of-6 clip from the field on top of 4 rebounds and 5 assists to lead his crew. Harris, on the other hand, ended up with 19 points, albeit on 6-of-22 shooting from the floor.
Providing support to the duo was Olajuwon with 17, causing much damage in the third canto to help the Jordanians keep in step en route to easily his best performance in a FIBA game although it wasn't enough, still.
The West Asian side, as a result, allowed the Philippines to gain a measure of payback after bowing in their previous FIBA meeting: a 91-90 decision during the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers' Second Round in Bulacan.
Jordan fell to 5-2 following the tough loss.
FIBA