Philippines swingman Gabe Norwood throws down a dunk against Argentina at the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain. (Screenshot/YouTube)

The Philippines fell to Argentina, 85-81, in a hard-fought FIBA World Cup game in Sevilla, Spain, but Gilas Pilipinas swingman Gabe Norwood provided one of the game’s highlights.

With a little over three minutes left in the first quarter, Gilas point guard Jayson William picked up a loose ball and fed a streaking Norwood on the left wing for a monster slam over Argentina forward Luis Scola. It wasn’t a clean “poster dunk” since Scola appears to be moving out of the way instead of challenging the shot. It was still an electrifying slam: Watch the play:

Norwood’s dunk was part of a big early run by the Filipinos in the opening quarter, as they took a 25-22 lead in an emotionally packed first quarter.  Norwood, who is mostly known for his defense, has been one of the stalwarts for a Philippines squad that could easily be 2-1 instead of 0-3. It lost in overtime to Croatia, 81-78, in the opener and fell to Greece, 82-70, on Day 2.

Norwood, 29, played college ball at George Mason from 2003-07 before getting drafted in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) in 2008 by Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Norwood was the PBA slam dunk champion in 2009, and PBA defensive player of the year in 2010. He is the brother of Denver Broncos wide receiver Jordan Norwood.

The Philippines gave the favored Argentines all it could handle in Day 3 of Group B pool play that went down to the wire, thanks to the 3-point shooting of Gilas guard Jimmy Alapag. In the end, Scola and Argentina made enough big plays down the stretch to escape with a four-point win.

Andray Blatche has expressed his desire to play for the Philippines’ national team. (GETTY IMAGES)

Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche could be headed to Spain this summer to play in the FIBA World Cup of Basketball. But he won’t be playing for Team USA.

Blatche, who was born in Syracuse, New York, and attended South Kent high school in Connecticut, is about to become a citizen of the Philippines. Once his Filipino citizen is finalized he will join Gilas Pilipinas — the senior men’s national team of the Philippines.

Here’s the story from PhilStar.com:

MANILA, Philippines — The Senate on Monday approved on third and final reading the bill granting Philippine citizenship to NBA player Andray Blatche.

Committee Report No. 27 on House Bill No. 4084, sponsored by Senator Sonny Angara was approved with 20 affirmative votes, zero negative votes and zero abstention.

“Andray Blatche has openly expressed his desire to play for the Philippines. He is in a position, at age 28, to make significant contributions to Philippine basketball and accordingly, eligible for the conferment of the honor of being a Philippine citizen,” Angara said.

Blatche is currently playing for the Brooklyn Nets alongside Kevin Garnett, Deron Williams and Paul Pierce. Blatche, who stands 6’11,” averages 11.2 points and 5.3 rebounds per game.

He was drafted to the NBA in 2005 where he was chosen 49th overall by the Washington Wizards. He was eventually released by the Wizards in 2012 and was signed up by the Nets.

Blatche will be part of the 24-man roster of Gilas Pilipinas, the country’s national basketball team, where the final 12 players will be chosen to compete in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) world championships this August in Spain.

“Blatche is possibly the best center from the NBA that we can get who is willing to shun more lucrative offers now and in the future just to be part of our national team,” stressed Angara, who said that the Brooklyn Nets big man’s documents will now be transmitted to the Office of the President for the chief executive’s signing.

Angara said the Philippines should sustain its recent rise in FIBA standings and is development in the international scene.

“International tournaments allow countries to be represented by naturalized players subject to certain conditions like the number of naturalized players in a team,” Angara said.

“Other countries, while ranking higher than the Philippines, have opted to take advantage of this naturalized-player rule, meant to equalize the world basketball landscape historically ruled by American and European countries, with great benefit,” Angara added.

The Philippines are in Group B at the FIBA World Cup with some really strong teams — Argentina, Greece, Puerto Rico, Croatia and Senegal. The top four teams out of that group will advance. It’s going to a tough road for the Filipinos just to get out of group play and into the medal round, but having the 6-11, 260-pound Blatche in the lineup levels the playing field. He’s a skilled big man who can impact the game on both ends.

The Philippine national team qualified for the World Cup after finishing second in the FIBA Asia tournament. Blatche easily will be the squad’s best and most accomplished player. He’s a nine-year NBA veteran who averaged 11 points and five rebounds for Nets in the 2013-14 season.

Other players you might know on the Philippines team? There’s former Providence standout Marcus Douthit and former George Mason player Gabe Norwood. Both are Filipino-American.

LeBron James holds a basketball clinic at the Mall of Asia Arena in the Philippines. (ASSOCIATED PRESS)

LeBron James’ Witness History tour in the Philippines lasted just 24 hours, but for the thousands of Filipinos who came to see the two-time NBA champion and reigning MVP the experience could last a lifetime.

Basketball runs deep in the Southeast Asian nation, which is known for its more than 7,000 islands and very diverse population. Filipinos are so crazy about basketball that they treat their basketball heroes like kings. Kobe Bryant has been to the Philippines six times, and in 2011 he brought along his NBA friends Kevin Durant, Derrick Rose, and James Harden for an unforgettable exhibition game.

LeBron’s July 23 visit to Manila, the country’s capital city, was his first overseas trip representing Nike and he was blown away by the amount of adulation he received from the fans and the media.

Before he set foot on the court LeBron sat down with Philippine TV personality Boom Gonzalez for an interview. The video is 19 minutes long, but the actual interview lasts about 11 minutes. LeBron talked about how passionate Filipinos are about the game of basketball and he also discussed winning his first championship and having to defend it the following season. Here’s the full video:

The highlight of the day was the basketball showcase featuring King James at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City. The Miami Heat star joined local hoopsters from high school, collegiate and professional teams, working on their basketball skills at a clinic.

The main event culminated in James coaching and participating in an exhibition game that featured the nation’s collegiate stars against the Philippine’s national team — also known as Gilas Pilipinas. Gilas Pilipinas will compete in the 2014 FIBA World Cup of Basketball in Spain after finishing second at the FIBA Asia Championship. It’s the first time since 1978 that a team from the Philippines will be represented at the World Cup.

Team LeBron, which included National University’s Bobby Ray Parks and Far Eastern University’s Terrence Romeo, made it close but the national team led by Philippine Basketball Association standout Japeth Aguilar prevailed by two points at the end of the 10-minute scrimmage.

The four-time NBA MVP thrilled the crowd by knocking down his first two 3-point shots, and threw down a nasty reverse slam dunk that sent the packed arena into a frenzy. Ranidel de Ocampo may have gotten posterized by King James, but 10-15 years from now he can brag about it. Watch the play:

James had an opportunity to win the game late but he missed his last two shots. “The reason why I missed those last two shots,” James said in an address to the crowd, “is because my jersey is too damn small.”

James said he enjoyed his time in Manila so much that he may just come back for an encore. “This is overwhelming with all the people here,” James said. “I can’t believe it’s my first time here, understanding how great basketball is here. This is definitely not my last.”