ALLAN THE MAN

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel is set to play Korean team Changwon LG Sakers in a tune-up game that will help both squads prepare for their upcoming campaigns in their respective basketball leagues.

Ginebra will play the Sakers in a friendly game at the Araneta Coliseum on September 9, in an event dubbed the "Asian Basketball Showdown."

The Philippine national men’s basketball team has dropped four straight painful defeats in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, and Filipino fans, heartbroken and all, are still hoping for Gilas Pilipinas to grab that elusive win before they end the tournament.

At least, the Filipinos are not alone, as the foreign media has also thrown its support behind Gilas Pilipinas. After its close defeat to Argentina, columnist Jose Ignacio Pinilla of Spanish sports newspaper Diario AS wrote in a column that the Philippines “deserves” a win in the tournament.

Gilas Pilipinas fought for dear life but Puerto Rico put an end to it.The Puerto Ricans registered their first victory in the 2014 FIBA World Cup with a 77-73 win over the Philippines behind the amazing play of point guard JJ Barea.

Watch the highlights of the Group C encounter between USA and New Zealand.

The Philippine national men’s basketball team showed its big fighting heart again but couldn’t finish with the victory at the end as JJ Barea lifted Puerto Rico to a 77-73 victory in the FIBA Basketball World Cup Wednesday in Seville, Spain.

Barea scored a layup with 51.8 seconds left to give Puerto Rico a 72-70 lead, then hit free throws in the endgame to seal the win and come back form a 14-point deficit early in the game.

Watch Andray Blatche two-handed slam vs Puerto Rico - 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

It's a fight for survival as the Philippines goes up against Puerto Rico tonight at 7:30 PM. The Puerto Ricans carry a similar 0-3 record like that of Gilas.