Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
It took only one shot for the Philippines to fall down from its throne of stability into a pit of uncertainty.
Gilas Pilipinas lost to Kazakhstan 92-88 in the second round of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers to drop to a third-place tie with Japan at 5-4—a result that could’ve been prevented if not for one minor defensive lapse.
June Mar Fajardo had shadowed Kazakh big man Anton Bykov for much of the 24-second shot clock until Rustam Yergali got the step and made a beeline to the basket that the Filipino center attempted to defend.
READ: Fiba World qualifiers: Gilas falls to Kazakhstan, drops to 3rd place tie Japan
Yergali eventually found Bykov who was standing mere feet away from the basket for the clutch layup which turned out to be Kazakhstan’s game-winning bucket with 12.7 seconds left to play.
Marcio Lassiter’s three in the prior possession was able to trim the deficit to two, 90-88, with 26.1 seconds left but the Filipinos were unable to put up a defensive stop.
Fajardo admitted his mistake, but with just two days to until their next game against Iran, which has been even more crucial after this loss, there’s no time to dwell on the errors against the Kazakhs.
READ: Gilas Pilipinas preparing for the worst against Kazakhstan
“It hurts especially we’re on our home court. This is a lesson learned for us and we shouldn’t put ourselves down too much because of this loss,” said a dejected Fajardo in Filipino Friday at Mall of Asia Arena. “I helped out on the drive, that’s part of the game.”
Gilas Pilipinas could’ve tied Iran at the second spot at 6-3, but the loss brought them into a perilous tie with Japan for the no.3 seed of Group F.
Only the top three teams from Groups E and F and the better of the two fourth seeds will advance to the 2019 Fiba Basketball World Cup, but it’s imperative for Gilas to lock up at least the third seed of their group to avoid any complications for the remainder of the tournament.
READ: Gilas Pilipinas wary of Kazakhs’ 3-point shooting
The Philippines will next face the no.2 team in Group F with a 6-3 record, giving the Filipinos a quick chance to get back on track.
“There’s still a next game for us,” said Fajardo who had 14 points and 13 rebounds. “We have to win, but it won’t be that easy so we have to give it our all.”
“This was a lesson learned for us but we shouldn’t put ourselves down too much because it might negatively affect us moving forward.”