Strong Group withdraws from third place game in Dubai after semis loss to Tunisia

The Philippines' Strong Group Athletics has decided to pull out of its supposed third place game in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship.

The squad announced the development on Sunday (Philippine time) after suffering a narrow 68-63 defeat, where the team said they "encountered officiating inconsistencies" during the said match.

"We at Strong Group Athletics have officially decided not to participate in the third-place game of the 34th Dubai Basketball International Championship, as we call for equality and fairness in officiating and for the game to be treated with the proper respect," the team said.

"Our decision comes after our semifinal matchup against Tunisia on Saturday evening, where we encountered officiating inconsistencies that significantly impacted the outcome of the contest."

"Throughout the game, multiple non-calls were made against us, with crucial decisions favoring Tunisia."

SGA stressed that the most "controversial" non-call they encountered was at the nine-second mark of fourth quarter, when Rhenz Abando tried to make a potential game-tying triple as they trailed 63-66.

No foul was whistled despite Tunisia big man Mokhtar Ghayaza's "obvious contact" with Abando from behind.

Eventually, Tunisia sealed the victory after Radhouane Slimane sank two free throws off a foul on Chris McCullough.

"Despite the obvious contact, the referees failed to call a foul, effectively sealing Tunisia’s victory and ending our championship hopes," SGA added.

"As competitors, we respect the game and its governing principles. However, fairness and accountability are fundamental in maintaining the integrity of international basketball."

Before Abando's attempt from downtown, SGA had to crawl back from a deficit as big as 16 after Ghayaza sent Tunisia to a 49-33 lead early in the third period through a layup. 

SGA trimmed that to 12 by the end of the third before they stepped on the gas in the payoff period with Chris McCullough and DeMarcus Cousins fueling a 9-0 run capped by a Mikey Williams triple to make it just a 63-65 disadvantage in the final 1:02. 

Williams, though, committed a foul against Omar Abada, who would split his charities to send Tunisia to a 66-63 spread. 

McCullough and Cousins top-scored with 18 points apiece with the latter grabbing 15 rebounds, two assists, two steals, and one block in what would be their final game of the tournament. 

"Our decision not to play in the third-place match is not just about one game—it is about advocating for officiating that upholds the spirit of sportsmanship and ensures that all teams are given a fair chance to compete," SGA said. 

SGA would have faced UAE National Team for the battle for bronze — the same team they faced during their tournament opener where they pulled off a 99-91 victory. 

—JKC, GMA Integrated News