Puerto Rico came up huge at the end of their second-round battle with the Dominican Republic, pocketing a 102-97 dub of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Friday, Sept. 1, in Manila’s Smart Araneta Coliseum.
From being up 16 in the first half, Puerto Ricans recovered themselves from near-blunder thanks to John Holland’s trey who lifted them up by three, 98-95, with less than a minute left. The clutch shot ultimately served as the momentum for the nation to complete a successful escape.
Tremont Waters went unconscious for Los Gallos with 37 points while also dishing out 11 assists to outplay Karl-Anthony Towns’ 39-point, 10-rebound performance.
Tonight allows Dominicana to settle for their first World Cup loss upon acing the first round of their Group Phase. They now share a 3-1 record with Serbia, Italy, and Puerto Rico within the second round’s Group I – setting up a major race towards the Final Phase.
