#FIBAWC: Gilas relegated to consolation round after Serbia dealt worst World Cup beating

Serbia proved why they are the second best team in the world of basketball, after handing the Philippines a sound beating at the FIBA Basketball World Cup with a 126-67 beatdown Monday evening in Foshan, China.

The reigning Olympic silver medalists leaned on the solid teamwork in which seven players hit double figures, booking their progression to the knockout stages with Italy in Group D, who earlier beat Angola in the curtain-raiser.

Forward Nemanja Bjelica lead Sasha Djordjevic's side with 20 points, as Serbia put up a crippling 21-4 run to end the first quarter, overcoming an early deficit when Gilas took the lead early in the first when Paul Lee hit a banked jumper.

From then on, it was just plain and simple basketball as Serbia put the nail in the coffin at halftime, blowing the game wide open with a 27-point lead.

The second half became a formality for the European heavyweights, as they opened the third with 13 straight points to get their second win in as many games to top the group.
Despite Gilas shooting slightly better than their opener last Sunday, it was not enough for them to avoid a 59-point beatdown, and got relegated to the classification round with their second straight defeat.

Neophyte CJ Perez led Gilas with 16 points as Andray Blatche got a huge letdow to follow up his horrific game against the Italians, finishing with just five markers before fouling out with 42 seconds left.

The Scores: 

SERBIA 126 – Bjelica 20, Bogdanovic 17, Raduljica 13, Guduric 12, Jokic 11, Micic 11, Milutinov 10, Marjanovic 9, Simonovic 7, Bircevic 6, Jovic 6, Lucic 4 

PHILIPPINES 67 – Perez 16, Lee 15, Fajardo 8, Aguilar 7, Bolick 7, Blatche 5, Ravena 5, Pogoy 2, Rosario 2, Almazan 0, Norwood 0

Quarter scores: 28-13, 62-35, 99-48, 126-67

(photo by FIBA)