THE Philippines hopes to redeem itself when it opens its classification round campaign in the FIBA World Cup 2023 against South Sudan before another expected banner crowd at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Defiant despite losing all their three games in the elimination phase, the Jordan Clarkson-led Filipinos are still confident of beating South Sudan on Thursday and Asian rival China on Saturday to keep their hopes of finishing as the top Asian nation and earn a slot in next year’s Paris Olympics alive.

The Filipinos have lost all three matches to world No. 23 Dominican Republic,world No. 42 Angola and world No. 10 Italy by an average losing margin of only 7.4 points — compared in 2019 where they suffered an average losing margin of 24 points — but they also ended up as the first host nation to lose its first three games since Colombia in 1982.

Expectedly, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes bore the brunt of fan criticisms from his inability to lead the team to victory to his reportedly expensive clothes during the games.

Reyes was also loudly booed even by the home crowd when he was introduced before the team’s game against Italy last Tuesday.

But Reyes and his 12-man team hope to put all the criticisms behind when they take on South Sudan and China in the classification round.

“I’m very proud of the effort of our players. We’ve shown that we can compete and even lead against these top teams. We’re just not able to put an entire game together, but we will continue to fight,” said Reyes after the team’s 83-90 setback to Italy last Tuesday.

Expected to lead the Filipinos anew are Clarkson, the hard-working Utah Jazz superstar who made history as the first player to make more than 20 points and more than five assists in his first three games in the FIBA World Cup, and the “Twin Towers” of June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar.

Young guns AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos and Kai Sotto and old reliables Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez, Kiefer Ravena and Roger Pogoy are also expected to step up.

But beating South Sudan, a team now managed by 15-year NBA veteran Luol Deng, is easier said than done.

Deng, who took over as president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation in 2019, is widely credited for guiding the country to its first World Cup appearance despite being the second-lowest ranked qualifier.

Deng and fellow NBA player-turned-head coach Royal Ivey have assembled a formidable squad that boasts of Chicago Bulls guard Carlik Jones, former Los Angeles Laker Wenyen Gabriel, former Philadelphia 76er Marial Shayok, Kuany Kuany, Majok Deng, and 7-2 NBA prospect Khaman Maluach.

Although ranked only No. 62, South Sudan finished 1-2 in Group B, losing only to Serbia and Puerto Rico in overtime and winning over China.

Ivey, a former high school teammate of Deng, said basketball is bringing their people together.

“Through basketball, we use that vessel for peace and changing the narrative in the country. Everybody is watching us, so they come together, they unite,” said Ivey in earlier inteviews.

“And through basketball, we share the vision of camaraderie, friendship, love, sportsmanship, togetherness, and that is what my players emulate everyday when they step out on the court.”

After South Sudan, the Philippines will face world No. 26 China and its newly- naturalized player, Kyle Anderson of the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Although Anderson and the Chinese have struggled in their three games so far, things are expected to get chippy with a possible ticket to the Paris Olympics at stake.

Zhao Rui, Zhao Ji Wei, Hu Mingxuan and Zhou Qi are expected to come out stronger for China, which is hoping to improve its 24th-place finish as host nation in 2019.