Explaining Bizarre Finish to Georgia-Philippines Olympic Qualifying Game

The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament is in full swing with the Paris 2024 Olympics just right around the corner. Thursday’s tilt between Georgia and the Philippines just saw perhaps one of the most bizarre endings ever in a basketball game.

Watch the sequence below, via Blake (@blakesilverman) on X/Twitter:

If you’re confused about what happened, here is a breakdown as to why Georgia, who was up by two points, tried to tie the game and send it into overtime.

Why Georgia Tried to Force Overtime Despite Having Lead

Bitadze attempted to score on the Philippines’ basket

In an effort to keep their semi-finals hopes alive, Georgia big man and Orlando Magic center Goga Bitadze attempted to purposely score on the Philippines’ basket to force overtime. Bitadze, however, fumbled on what should have been an easy putback attempt. They ironically won the game, 96-94, but lost their bid to qualify for the Olympics.

But why did Bitadze try to tie the game even though they were on the way to the win?

After getting blown out, 88-53, against Latvia, Georgia needed to win by at least 19 points to advance to the semi-final round of the tournament due to the quotient system. However, they found themselves just up by two points after Gilas Pilipinas guard Chris Newsome missed his second freethrow with just 2.8 seconds remaining.

Going into overtime would have given Georgia a long-shot chance of trying to keep their semi-final hopes alive. But even if Bitadze had made the basket, they still had a steep mountain to climb as they would have needed to outscore the Philippines by 19 points in the five-minute extra session.

Georgia Had Its Chances

Gilas Pilipinas Showed Resiliency and Stay Alive in the Tournament

Georgia established a 40-20 lead at one point early in the second quarter. They raced out to a 16-0 lead in the first quarter before Gilas Pilipinas got on the board with 4:50 remaining in the period.

After a stunning victory over No. 6 Latvia on Wednesday, the Philippines showcased its resiliency and put together a spirited comeback in the second half. Gilas Pilipinas outscored Georgia 31-19 in the third quarter before the final frame saw a tense back-and-forth between the two semi-final hopefuls.

In the end, Georgia won the game, but the Philippines marched forward thanks to their valiant effort. Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone hilariously admitted that he was surprised about how the tournament unfolded for his team.

In fact, he also revealed they had already booked their flights back home. Nonetheless, he praised his troops’ resiliency over the last couple of games.

Justin Brownlee led the way for the Philippines with 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, while guard Dwight Ramos finished with 16 points and five rebounds. Georgia was led by former San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili, who scored 26 points, while Bitadze added 21 points and 11 rebounds.

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