Justin Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas members wave to the gang after their win over home team Hong Kong within the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers. –FIBA PHOTO
Sure, Gilas Pilipinas overcame a sluggish start on Thursday night and ran away with a key win to kickstart its grand plan of returning to the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) World Cup in 4 years.
But the primary half of that 94-64 rout of Hong Kong, fashioned out before a crowd made up mostly of overseas Filipino orkers at Tsuen Wan Sports Centre, had national coach Tim Cone eager for more.
And rightly so.
“That’s more of what we would like from this team—to create more offense from our defense, not only trying to return up and take quick shots,” he told a pair of reporters on the heels of the Filipino’s opening Asia Cup Qualifiers victory.
“[E]verybody was trying hard, but they were tentative and we were missing shots we must always have made. We were a bit of overextended defensively. We were allowing guys. All of the things we weren’t imagined to be doing, we were doing in that first half.”
The Philippines raced to a 9-0 start but found Hong Kong respiratory down their necks by the second period. The hosts, at one point, even took the lead before Gilas regained its bearings behind Dwight Ramos’ three big plays that led to a 12-0 run within the third and just about put the Nationals back on the motive force’s seat for good.
‘Long method to go’
Cone charged that forgettable first half to the team playing its first game, but he was just as swift in admitting that Gilas still has “a protracted method to go.”
Even after starring with 16 points, seven rebounds, and 7 assists, Justin Brownlee felt exactly that about himself.
So did Kai Sotto, the young big man who delivered a double-double of 13 points and 15 rebounds within the absence of June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu.
“I didn’t expect to return out and play great. I used to be just attempting to get a rhythm,” Brownlee, who served a doping ban after the Philippines’ historic Asiad conquest, said.
“I’m glad we won. But as coach Tim said, this game is more of a test for us,” Sotto identified. “We’re those who’re going to be judged—not the opponent—after this game since everyone knows we’re the higher team.”
A probability to use tweaks and do higher awaits Gilas Pilipinas this Sunday when it hosts Chinese-Taipei at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. But doing so might be more of a challenge if the Taiwanese performance against the Tall Blacks also Thursday night was a sign.
Chinese-Taipei was neck-and-neck with the Kiwis until they faded within the payoff period, settling for a 89-69 loss at home.
“We heard that Taiwan gave Recent Zealand an actual battle today in order that they’re going to be a team to reckon with once we come Sunday,” said Cone. “We’d like to play rather a lot, lot higher than we did tonight.”
“Taiwan’s going to be tougher. [But] I believe this (experience) will really help us going into that next game. I’m excited to play Taiwan, [as] they’re a greater team (than Hong Kong). I’m looking forward to it,” said Sotto.
