The two World Cup hosts Japan and the Philippines both bowed out of the tournament with a win. For the Japanese and South Sudan, the final victories were tantamount to Olympic qualification.
The South Sudan basketball players have qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics on their World Cup debut. The team led by Carlik Jones of the Chicago Bulls beat Angola 101-78 (53-39) in the placement round in Manila/Philippines to finish the tournament as the best African team.
South Sudan had celebrated their first World Cup victory in the preliminary round against China (89:69), but did not make it to the intermediate round as third in Group B. The team was ranked 17th in the world. In the round for places 17 to 32, a victory over co-host Philippines (87:68) had already preceded the win over Angola.
Only one participant from Africa was able to book a direct ticket to Paris at the World Cup. Against Angola, point guard Jones (25) was the outstanding man for the world No. 62 with 26 points, 15 assists and 7 rebounds. Jones was named most valuable player (MVP) of the NBA Development League G League last season in the jersey of Chicago’s farm team Windy City Bulls.
Successful World Cup finish for Japan and Philippines
Japan also qualified for next year’s Summer Games. The German team’s opening opponents secured their quota place for Oceania with an 80-71 (50-37) win over the Cape Verde Islands. Tickets are awarded to the two best European teams at the World Cup, and the German Basketball Association (DBB) still has a chance as a quarter-finalist.
The Philippines, the second of the three host countries at this year’s World Basketball Championship, also celebrated a successful end to the World Cup. In their last game, they won their first game of the World Cup, beating China 96-75. They had NBA player Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz) to thank for that, who ran completely hot in the third quarter and scored 20 points in four minutes. The 31-year-old finished with 34 points (11/18 from the field, 5/10 threes).