Gilas Pilipinas 3×3 saw its chances of reaching the Tokyo Games get slimmer following a 21-11 loss to Slovenia in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz, Austria on Wednesday, May 26.

Kicking off its campaign with a 21-12 defeat to Qatar, the Philippines suffered another blowout loss as Slovenia proved its powerhouse status as the No. 4 ranked team in the world.

Gilas 3×3 seized an early 2-1 lead behind buckets from Mo Tautuaa and Joshua Munzon but Slovenia turned the tables and unloaded a 15-3 run for a comfortable 16-4 cushion.

Simon Finzgar, who churned out a game-high 9 points on a perfect 3-of-3 clip from two-point range on top of 3 rebounds, then sealed the win for Slovenia with a free throw with more than two minutes remaining.

Dropping to 0-2, the Philippines needs the stars to align to advance to the knockout playoffs and remain in Olympic contention.

Gilas 3×3 is currently at 4th place in Group C, behind France (2-0), Qatar (2-0), and Slovenia (1-1).

Dominican Republic also remains winless in two games in the group, but the Philippines holds the advantage in points scored.

Only the top two teams will move on to the next round.

Munzon topscored for the Philippines with 7 points, while CJ Perez put up 3 points and 4 rebounds in the losing effort.

The Philippines needs to sweep France and Dominican Republic in its last two group stage games on Friday, May 28 to stay in the hunt for an Olympic berth. – Rappler.com