ONE last game, one last chance to finally get a win.

That will be on the minds of the Philippines and former NBA “Sixth Man of the Year” winner Jordan Clarkson when they battle long-time Asian rival China in the FIBA World Cup 2023.

Game time is 8 p.m. at the Smart Araneta Coliseum with the Chinese looking for a second win in five games that could revive their hopes to clinch the lone Asian ticket to the Paris Olympics and the Filipinos hoping for a victoryto save face in front of a noisy home crowd.

It will be a preview of their coming 19th Asian Games showdown scheduled in Hangzhou later this month,

It is one game that could also rekindle the rivalry between the two countries with a long history of basketball success.

It is also the Philippines’ last chance to avoid another winless World Cup campaign and the first hosts since Colombia in 1982 to fail to win a single game.

It is also another opportunity to avoid going 0-13 as World Cup hosts, after the Ramon Cruz-led Philippine team went 0-8 in Manila in 1978.

A win against China could also give the Philippines a second-place finish among the Asian countries, which could get it an invitation to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament scheduled later this year.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes knows fully well the importance of the game against China.

“I don’t think anything really needs to be said. We played our worst game when it counted the most. The early burst by South Sudan … we had a tremendous fightback. But we spent too much energy in trying to close it and we didn’t have enough to finish it,” said Reyes after the Filipinos’ 68-87 setback to World Cup debutant South Sudan late Thursday.

“Obviously, we’re very down (after four straight losses). The morale is really low. The only thing that we can do now is just focus on the next game. Our job right now is to get everyone ready for the next game. That has to start with our mindset and our emotional heart set,” added Reyes, who was roundly booed even by home fans.

Edu is still confident.

“It’s really a tough loss but I am really proud of all the guys. The fight we had to bring that game back down to four points just shows the heart that we have. Just really proud of everyone. I just want to encourage everyone to keep their heads up because we still have one more game,” said Edu in an interview.

Co-host Japan leads the race for the coveted Paris ticket with two wins at home in Okinawa.

The Yuta Watanabe-led Japanese team won over Finland, 98-88, in group play last Aug. 27, and Venezuela, 86-77, in the classification round also Thursday.

The Japanese can clinch the ticket with another victory over Cape Verde on Saturday.

China and Lebanon have one apiece.

The Chinese defeated Angola, 83-76, while the Lebanese bested Ivory Coast, 94-84.

Two other Asian countries in the World Cup — Iran and Jordan — are also winless in four games.