Gilas-PH five downs Egyptians

Playing before a boisterous predominantly Filipino crowd, Gilas Pilipinas finally won its first tuneup game for the coming Fiba World Cup with a 74-65 decision of tough-nut Egypt on Sunday (Monday in Manila) in Guadalajara, Spain.

Cheered on by about 2,000 Spain-based Filipinos, the Nationals survived the African basketball powerhouse behind the heroics of June Mar Fajardo and naturalized center Andray Blatche in separate stretches to end a five-game slide.

The victory comes as a welcome relief six days before the World Cup, where the Philippines is bracketed with Argentina, Croatia, Senegal, Puerto Rico and Greece in Group B.

Fajardo played his best game, shooting eight points while holding fort in the middle when Blatche struggled in the first half for the Filipinos, who dealt the Egyptians their fourth loss in nine tuneup games.

The Philippines had lost to France, Australia and Ukraine in Antibes, France, before stumbling against club team Euskadis and Fiba Africa champion Angola in San Sebastian, Spain, last week.

Blatche, the former Brooklyn Net in the NBA who was naturalized close to two months ago, returned from a 0-for-11 clip to shoot all of his 14 points in the second half and help the Filipinos clip the Egyptians, the 2013 Fiba Fiba Africa runner-up.

The 6-foot-11 Blatche scored seven points in the third period as the Filipinos outscored Egypt, 24-15.

Jeff Chan, Gilas’ top outside gun, scattered 20 points to pace the Filipinos, with Marc Pingris adding 12.

Gilas has one game left in its series of outings to hone up for the World Cup, battling the Dominican Republic on Monday before taking a break and playing its first game on Aug. 30against the Croatians in Seville, site of Group B play.