# Basketball at the 2023 Pacific Games – Men's tournament

The men's basketball tournament at the 2023 Pacific Games was the 17th edition of the event for men at the Pacific Games. It was held from 17 to 25 November 2023. All games were played at the Friendship Hall in Honiara, Solomon Islands.
Fiji ended their 16-year title drought by upsetting the defending champions Guam in the championship match, 51-47, winning their only second Gold Medal in the Games' Men's Basketball tournament. Meanwhile, New Caledonia notches their fourth Bronze Medal overall after thrashing the defending Bronze Medallists Samoa in the Battle for Third Place, 97-61.
As this tournament served as the official qualifiers of the Oceania region to the FIBA Asia Cup Pre-Qualifiers, both Finalists earned their slots to the 2029 FIBA Asia Cup qualification wherein they will be participating in the First Round, which will happen on 2026.

## Format

The eight teams were split into two groups of four teams, and a single round-robin was held within each group. The first-placed teams of each group advanced straight into the semifinals with the second- and third-placed teams playing a two match qualifying finals before advancing. After the preliminary round, the teams were matched according to their results with the playoffs featuring only six teams (top three of each group). From there on a knockout system was used.

## Schedule

The schedule of the tournament was as follows.
| G | Group stage | Q | Qualifying finals | C | Classification | ¼ | Quarterfinals | ½ | Semifinals | F | Finals |
| Event↓/Date → | 17th Fri | 18th Sat | 19th Sun | 20th Mon | 21st Tue | 22nd Wed | 23rd Thu | 24th Fri | 25th Sat |
| Men | G | G | G | G | G | Q | C | ½ | F |

## Qualified teams

| Qualification method | Date | Berths | Qualified team |
| Host Nation | — | — | Solomon Islands |
| 2022 FIBA Micronesia Basketball Cup | 8−11 June 2022 | 1 | Guam |
| 2022 FIBA Melanesia Basketball Cup | 26−29 October 2022 | 2 | New Caledonia Papua New Guinea |
| 2022 FIBA Polynesia Basketball Cup | 1−5 November 2022 | 2 | Tahiti Tonga |
| Wildcard | 16 December 2022 | 2 | Fiji Samoa |
| Total | | 8 | |

## Group stage
### Group A

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Guam | 3 | 3 | 0 | 271 | 179 | +92 | 6 | Advance to the semi-final round |
| 2 | Papua New Guinea | 3 | 2 | 1 | 245 | 202 | +43 | 5 | Advance to the quarter-final round |
| 3 | Samoa | 3 | 1 | 2 | 177 | 224 | −47 | 4 | Advance to the quarter-final round |
| 4 | Solomon Islands (H) | 3 | 0 | 3 | 136 | 224 | −88 | 3 | Advance to the classification round |
* 17 November 2023 17:00
* Report
| Solomon Islands | 49–56 | Samoa |
| Scoring by quarter: 11–12, 11–19, 13–2, 14–23 |||
| Pts: Otasui 14 Rebs: Maelasi 12 Asts: Tango 3 | | Pts: Chong Nee 16 Rebs: D. Keil 13 Asts: V. Keil, Nickel 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 18 November 2023 18:00
* Report Scoresheet
| Papua New Guinea | 81–34 | Solomon Islands |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–8, 23–4, 22–8, 18–14 |||
| Pts: A. Muri 21 Rebs: H. Elavo 8 Asts: P. Muri 4 | | Pts: A. Basia 8 Rebs: Masaea 7 Asts: Maelasi 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara Referees: Calia Hanks (AUS), Timoci Matai Sailada (FIJ), Muaimalae Levale (SAM)
* 18 November 2023 20:15
* Report Scoresheet
| Samoa | 49–88 | Guam |
| Scoring by quarter: 7–22, 19–28, 12–19, 11–19 |||
| Pts: Thompson 9 Rebs: Thompson 6 Asts: 3 players 2 | | Pts: Johnson 20 Rebs: Johnson 11 Asts: 3 players 3 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara Referees: Samuel Pan (NZL), Roman Michel, Heimiti Mairau
* 19 November 2023 09:00
* Report
| Guam | 96–77 | Papua New Guinea |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–20, 33–20, 22–17, 18–20 |||
| Pts: Simon 30 Rebs: Simon 11 Asts: Johnson 4 | | Pts: A. Muri 21 Rebs: Tetemo 9 Asts: Tetemo 4 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 21 November 2023 09:00
* Report
| Papua New Guinea | 87–72 | Samoa |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–18, 19–19, 28–9, 22–26 |||
| Pts: M. Elavo, C. Muri 21 Rebs: H. Elavo 9 Asts: C. Muri 8 | | Pts: Nickel 16 Rebs: Tutagalevao 11 Asts: D. Keil 6 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 21 November 2023 20:15
* Report
| Guam | 87–53 | Solomon Islands |
| Scoring by quarter: 16–7, 31–14, 29–19, 21–13 |||
| Pts: Aiken, Simon 22 Rebs: Johnson 12 Asts: Grape 3 | | Pts: Grantham, Maelasi 10 Rebs: Maelasi 14 Asts: Masaea, Toramo 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

### Group B

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Fiji | 3 | 3 | 0 | 219 | 178 | +41 | 6 | Advance to the semi-final round |
| 2 | Tahiti | 3 | 1 | 2 | 166 | 187 | −21 | 4 | Advance to the quarter-final round |
| 3 | New Caledonia | 3 | 1 | 2 | 199 | 200 | −1 | 4 | Advance to the quarter-final round |
| 4 | Tonga | 3 | 1 | 2 | 213 | 232 | −19 | 4 | Advance to the classification round |
* ↑ 1−1, 1.034 (beaten Tonga, lost to New Caledonia)
* ↑ 1−1, 1.008 (beaten Tahiti, lost to Tonga)
* ↑ 1−1, 0.967 (beaten New Caledonia, lost to Tahiti)
* 18 November 2023 09:00
* Report
| Fiji | 70–45 | Tahiti |
| Scoring by quarter: 19–9, 14–16, 16–10, 21–10 |||
| Pts: Mclennan, Fox 15 Rebs: Fox 11 Asts: Whippy, Lum Kon 3 | | Pts: Meuel 16 Rebs: Teriitemataua 6 Asts: Sommers 3 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 18 November 2023 11:15
* Report
| New Caledonia | 80–82 | Tonga |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–19, 16–19, 24–17, 17–27 |||
| Pts: Chevrin 19 Rebs: Chevrin, Tetainanuari 7 Asts: Esneu 3 | | Pts: Foketi 22 Rebs: Alipate 7 Asts: Foketi 4 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 20 November 2023 11:15
* Report
| Tahiti | 50–53 | New Caledonia |
| Scoring by quarter: 9–15, 12–8, 13–17, 16–13 |||
| Pts: Commings 16 Rebs: Liu 6 Asts: Teriitemataua 2 | | Pts: Tetainanuari 13 Rebs: Weber 12 Asts: Patche, Mitrail 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 20 November 2023 18:00
* Report
| Fiji | 81–67 | Tonga |
| Scoring by quarter: 23–16, 19–20, 24–19, 15–12 |||
| Pts: Fox 24 Rebs: Fox 14 Asts: Lum Kon 6 | | Pts: Alipate 20 Rebs: Sinisa 13 Asts: 3 players 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 21 November 2023 13:30
* Report
| Tonga | 64–71 | Tahiti |
| Scoring by quarter: 11–19, 20–11, 13–15, 20–26 |||
| Pts: Foketi 20 Rebs: Foketi 6 Asts: Paea 3 | | Pts: Commings 18 Rebs: Meuel, Commings 8 Asts: Teriitemataua 4 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 21 November 2023 15:45
* Report
| New Caledonia | 66–68 | Fiji |
| Scoring by quarter: 15–22, 19–12, 18–15, 14–19 |||
| Pts: Adjouhgniope 12 Rebs: Weber 8 Asts: Esneu 3 | | Pts: Waqabaca 22 Rebs: Fox 11 Asts: Whippy 3 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

## Finals

| Playoffs | Playoffs | Semi-finals | Semi-finals | | Final | Final |
| | | 24 November | 24 November | | |
| | | Guam | 93 | |
| 22 November | 22 November | | Guam | 93 | |
| 22 November | 22 November | Samoa | 65 | |
| Tahiti | 71 | Samoa | 65 | |
| Tahiti | 71 | | | | 25 November | 25 November |
| Samoa | 81 | | | | 25 November | 25 November |
| Samoa | 81 | | | | Guam | 47 |
| | | | | | Fiji | 51 |
| | | 24 November | 24 November | | | |
| | | Fiji | 71 | | | |
| 22 November | 22 November | | Fiji | 71 | | |
| 22 November | 22 November | New Caledonia | 60 | | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| Papua New Guinea | 78 | New Caledonia | 60 | | Bronze medal match | Bronze medal match |
| Papua New Guinea | 78 | | | | 25 November | 25 November |
| New Caledonia | 88 | | | | 25 November | 25 November |
| New Caledonia | 88 | | | | Samoa | 61 |
| | | | | | New Caledonia | 97 |

### Playoffs

* 22 November 2023 14:30
* Report
| Papua New Guinea | 78–88 | New Caledonia |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–20, 20–21, 19–26, 21–21 |||
| Pts: A. Muri 27 Rebs: A. Muri 9 Asts: C. Muri 5 | | Pts: Chevrin 12 Rebs: Tetainanuari 8 Asts: Mitrail, Tetainanuari 3 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 22 November 2023 17:00
* Report
| Tahiti | 71–81 | Samoa |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–16, 22–26, 22–19, 19–10 |||
| Pts: Chong Nee 24 Rebs: Nickel 12 Asts: Nickel 7 | | Pts: Meuel 21 Rebs: Liu 11 Asts: Roopina, Liu 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

### Classification 7th-8th

* 23 November 2023 12:00
* Report
| Solomon Islands | 59–83 | Tonga |
| Scoring by quarter: 19–24, 11–18, 14–17, 15–24 |||
| Pts: Grantham 13 Rebs: B. Basia, Wong 7 Asts: 3 players 2 | | Pts: Foketi 26 Rebs: Foketi 13 Asts: Aziziyan 3 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

### Classification 5th-6th

* 23 November 2023 17:00
* Report
| Papua New Guinea | 84–77 | Tahiti |
| Scoring by quarter: 24–19, 12–21, 20–16, 28–21 |||
| Pts: A. Muri 25 Rebs: H. Elavo 17 Asts: C. Muri 7 | | Pts: Meuel 30 Rebs: 3 players 5 Asts: Teriitemataua 6 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

### Semifinals

* 24 November 2023 17:00
* Report
| Guam | 93–65 | Samoa |
| Scoring by quarter: 24–11, 22–18, 26–15, 21–21 |||
| Pts: White 20 Rebs: 3 players 7 Asts: Calvo 4 | | Pts: Chong Nee 24 Rebs: E. Keil 7 Asts: Leaupepe 5 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara
* 24 November 2023 19:30
* Report
| Fiji | 71–60 | New Caledonia |
| 'Scoring by quarter: 18–14, 18–13, 18–13, 17–20 |||
| Pts: Waqabaca 18 Rebs: Fox 11 Asts: Mclennan, Whippy 4 | | Pts: Weber 15 Rebs: Tetainanuari 10 Asts: Chevrin, Esneu 3 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

### Bronze medal match

* 25 November 2023 11:30
* Report
| Samoa | 61–97 | New Caledonia |
| Scoring by quarter: 18–32, 10–16, 16–30, 17–19 |||
| Pts: Chong Nee 13 Rebs: Thompson 9 Asts: Chong Nee 2 | | Pts: Fenuafanote 18 Rebs: Mitrail 10 Asts: Tetainanuari 5 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

### Final

* 25 November 2023 16:30
* Report
| Guam | 47–51 | Fiji |
| Scoring by quarter: 17–21, 19–11, 9–15, 2–4 |||
| Pts: T. Wesley 16 Rebs: T. Wesley 9 Asts: T. Wesley 2 | | Pts: Waqabaca 17 Rebs: Fox 10 Asts: Waqabaca, Lum Kon 2 |
* Friendship Hall, Honiara

## Final standing

| Rank | Team | Record | Qualified to |
| | Fiji | 5–0 | First Round Pre-Qualifiers of 2029 FIBA Asia Cup qualification |
| | Guam | 4–1 | First Round Pre-Qualifiers of 2029 FIBA Asia Cup qualification |
| | New Caledonia | 3–3 |
| 4 | Samoa | 2–4 |
| 5 | Papua New Guinea | 3–2 |
| 6 | Tahiti | 1–4 |
| 7 | Tonga | 2–2 |
| 8 | Solomon Islands | 0–4 |

## Awards

The All Star Five has been named following the conclusion of the tournament.
| Position | Player |
| All Star Five | Gabriel Simon |
| All Star Five | Apia Muri |
| All Star Five | Joshua Fox |
| All Star Five | Jean-Sébastien Chevrin |
| All Star Five | Filimone Waqabaca |