Gilas Pilipinas will have to face its final match in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 classification phase with only 11 players.
On Saturday night, the Philippines emerged from the tunnel with just 11 players in uniform. Jamie Malonzo was seen in street clothes just minutes before Gilas Pilipinas’ highly-anticipated match-up against China at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Malonzo suffered a nasty fall while attempting to grab a rebound in the second quarter of Gilas’ 68-87 loss against the Bright Stars last Thursday. The Ginebra forward did not return to the game, finishing with four points and one rebound in 11 minutes and 10 seconds of play.
The 27-year-old star from La Salle averaged 2.8 points and 2.3 rebounds in the World Cup.
His best performance in the world tournament came when he contributed seven points, four rebounds, one steal, and one block in the team’s 90-83 loss to Italy during the group stage.
