Dominican Republic Triumphs Over Philippines in Record-Breaking Match at FIBA World Cup 2023
Foto Brondi
It was the Dominican Republic that claimed a record match at the Philippine Arena (38,115 spectators, a new high for a World Cup game)
From Manila, Philippines – It was the Dominican Republic that claimed a record match at the Philippine Arena (38,115 spectators, a new high for a World Cup game): Che García’s team defeated the host nation, the Philippines, 87-81, in a game that was competitive for over three and a half quarters until the fifth foul on Jordan Clarkson.
The next two opponents of Italy – the Caribbean side on Sunday at 10 and the Asian side on Tuesday at 14 – played an intense, very physical game, with many mistakes from the favored Dominican Republic to the delight of the crowd that traveled to the arena, located over an hour’s drive (and traffic) from Manila.
A tense Karl-Anthony Towns finished the match with 26 points and 10 rebounds (but 5/16 shooting and 5 turnovers) in 25 minutes of play, and also scoring in double figures for the Dominican Republic were Liz (18 points, to be assessed after an injury late in the game) and Feliz (12). For the Philippines, Clarkson finished with 28 points (along with 7 rebounds and 9/24 shooting), but there were also 16 from an excellent Fajardo, who shot 5/5 from the field.