Orlando Magic big Goga Bitadze was at the center of one of the most bizarre endings in a basketball game recently, as he was trying to keep Georgia’s hopes of qualifying for the Paris Olympics alive on Thursday.
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With the Philippines trailing 96-94 with less than three seconds remaining in their FIBA Olympics Qualifying Tournament matchup, Goga Bitadze inexplicably tried to tip the ball in after Chris Newsome’s missed free throw.
Instead, he barely missed his putback attempt, and Georgia came away with the win, although they were eliminated from contention after failing to meet their primary objective.
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After getting blown out by Latvia with a score of 88-53 in the first game, Georgia needed to beat the Philippines by at least 19 points to advance to the semi-final round due to the quotient system. Theoretically, if Bitadze made the putback, Georgia would’ve forced overtime where they have a long-shot chance to blow out the Philippines.
Goga Bitadze signs three-year deal with the Orlando Magic
Even if Goga Bitadze converted his tip-in, FIBA would’ve nullified it anyway based on their special rule involving intentional goals.
With Georgia eliminated from Olympic contention, Goga Bitadze will have a lot of time to recharge ahead of the 2024-25 season, where he’ll play for the Orlando Magic anew after agreeing to a new three-year contract worth $25 million.
Before signing with the Orlando Magic, the New York Knicks were rumored to be interested in Goga Bitadze. But they ultimately backed off due to their complex salary cap situation after extending OG Anunoby and trading for Mikal Bridges.
Bitadze started 33 games for the Orlando Magic last season, playing in 62 regular-season games, averaging 5.0 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 1.2 blocks per match. He will continue to play backup behind Wendell Carter Jr. and Moritz Wagner.
