Gilas must wake up and sizzle

It won, but it was far from a glittering debut the celebrated Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team put up when it beat India in the Incheon Asian Games on Tuesday.

There were sparklers in its first Asiad assignment but, on the whole, it was a relatively lazy stand the Philippine national team displayed in registering an uneven 85-76 win over the unheralded Indian national team.

There were, in fact, lethargic points when Gilas Pilipinas, no thanks to shallow rotation, would appear as though it was going through another workout routine.

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A blazing 16-0 spurt pushed the Philippines ahead by 16 (49-33) in the second quarter, before taking the half 50-37.

But when it was expected to go all out, Guilas blew hot and cold starting the third quarter, thereby allowing India to move into contention, 52-44.

There were slams and some sharp plays, but the 20 Gilas turnovers, wrought around a leaky defense, should be a cause for worry.

It can’t be a case of combat fatigue, but there may be a need to remind coach Chot Reyes he needs to transform the team back into the sensational never-say-die outfit that it was in the recent Fiba World Cup in Spain.

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At least Marcus Douthit, despite a belated call to put on his Philippine national uniform, displayed promising form; although he was also observed panting during breaks.

Today’s rematch with powerhouse Iran, which swamped and shamed the Douthit-less Gilas team in the Fiba Asia Championship finals last year, is not yet the do-or-die showdown it could turn out to be later.

But how Gilas Pilipinas makes out versus Iran today should determine how far the Philippines could hope to go in its quest to win back the Asian Games basketball gold it last won in 1962.

Gilas Pilipinas can’t afford to blow hot and cold as though it was still shaking off the siesta habit obviously acquired in its historic stint in Spain.

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PURE(GOLD) PERFIDY: It was not Purefoods, but Puregold, which was denounced by young consumer Jayferson Alfonso for irresponsible and anomalous upkeep of its parking lot in its Kalentong facility. This reporter apologizes for the slip… Living Filipino cycling legend Jess Garcia Jr. reports that LNU Dukes and UPang-Phinma Flames are tied for the lead in the Universities and Colleges Athletic Association of Pangasinan basketball league which opened on Sept. 18. Other teams in the league headed by lawyer Gonzalo Duque are Pimsat, AIE, PCST, PSU, ICE and LNU Urdaneta.