That Olympic dream will have to wait yet again.
In need of a win to stay alive in the tournament, Gilas Pilipinas instead found itself on the wrong side of the scoreboard once more, succumbing to the upstart Tall Blacks of New Zealand, 89–80.
New Zealand will face Gilas Pilipinas in the 2nd day of the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on July 6, 9pm, 2016 at the Mall of Asia Arena.
New Zealand Final Player Roster for the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament
#0 Tai Webster
#3 Shea Ili
#5 Everard Bartlett
Iran defeated New Zealand, 75-72 in a tune-up match held in Riga, Latvia. Iran is preparing for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Turin while the New Zealand Tall Blacks will compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila and will face France on July 7 and Gilas Pilipinas on July 6.
New Zealand Tall Blacks Final 12 Roster for 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament
-Tom Abercrombie, Forward, 198cm, 29 years
No Steven Adams in the New Zealand Tall Blacks Player Pool for the FIBA OQT Manila but with veteran players Mika Vukona, Tom Abercrombie and Corey Webster.
New Zealand Tall Blacks Player Pool for 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament
-Tom Abercrombie, Forward, 198cm, 29 years
-BJ Anthony, Forward, 198cm, 28 years
-Everard Bartlett, Guard, 193cm, 29 years
Steven Adams, currently playing for the Oklahoma Thunder in the NBA will not play for the Tall Blacks (New Zealand) in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Manila.
New Zealand also called Tall Blacks lost to Australia twice in the 2015 FIBA Oceania Championship and will face Gilas Pilipinas and France in the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament this July 5-10.
Watch New Zealand 2015 FIBA Oceania Highlights Video
Watch New Zealand’s Haka vs USA Video
What if Gilas Pilipinas also had a similar ritual before each game?
About Haka
“A haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment.”
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka