MANILA, Philippines - It was a performance to remember except for the final seconds as Gilas Pilipinas showed what Filipino heart is all about in a courageous stand against the world's 16th-ranked team.
Croatia steadied at the line in the final seconds to survive a hard-fighting Gilas Pilipinas, 81-78, in overtime Saturday at the opening of the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Seville, Spain.
Sweet-shooting Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 points including four pressure-packed free throws down the stretch while Danjan Rudez added two as insurance to deal Philippines a heartbreaker in its first game back in the world championship after 36 years of absence.
Gilas had a chance to send the game into second overtime but Jayson Castro missed a hurried three-pointer.
Gilas may have lost the opener but that served as an eye-opener to the rest of Group B that they're no pushovers.
After a jittery start, Gilas stormed back from as many as 15-point deficit and even held a three-point lead late in regulation.
After missing their first seven shots from beyond the arc, Gilas made 10 of their next 18 as they nearly stole the game in what could have been an epic upset.
But Croatia, who finished 16th in the 2010 edition, weathered the Filipinos' uprising with steady free throw shooting.
Gilas had a chance to win it in regulation but missed two offensive tries in the closing seconds. Andray Blatche carried Gilas fight with 28 points and 12 rebounds while Jeff Chan added 17 built on 4-of-6 shooting from the arc.
Croatia got a huge break towards the end of third quarter when Castro was called for a technical foul on a flop. It led to a five-point swing in the final 2.5 seconds that enabled Croatia to bring an eight-point cushion, 57-49, instead of just three heading to the fourth quarter.
The gutsy stand by Gilas left the more than 3,000 Filipinos and millions more back home proud.
"Our team is like our country. We aren't the most scientific or the most beautiful style of play but we keep on fighting," Gilas coach Chot Reyes said in the post-game press conference.
Marc Pingris and June Mar Fajardo carried the Phl fight along with Chan's outside sniping and Jimmy Alapag wily playmaking when Blatche limped off the court before halftime.
Gilas made a 7-0 closing run to trim Croatia's double-digit lead to just six, 37-31, at the half.
Gilas will next play Greece then Argentina in just less than 24-hour apart on Monday Manila time.
The scores:
Croatia (81) -- Bogdanovic 26, Simon 12, Saric 10, Ukic 5, Markuta 5, Zoric 4, Rudez 4, Lafayette 4, Babic 3.
Gilas Pilipinas (78) -- Blatche 28, Chan 17, Pingris 10, Castro 6, De Ocampo 5, Alapag 4. Tenorio 2, Norwood 2, Fajardo 2, Lee 2, Aguilar 0.
Quarterscores: 23-9; 37-31; 57-49; 71-71 (reg); 81-78.