Gilas Pilipinas big man Andray Blatche tries to dribble past his defender during an exhibition game against the Congo national team in Spain. Photo from SBP
While still in the country, Gilas Pilipinas sorely lacked practice time with its complete pool, with several of its key cogs needing to fulfill club obligations in the PBA.
Yeng Guiao, the fiery national coach, calmly accepted the situation, working around the limitations to brew something he suspected would bog the team down as it prepares for the Fiba World Cup in China later this month.
Chemistry.
So it was quite a refreshing sight for Guiao to watch the Filipinos open their campaign in a pocket tournament in Spain with a seamless 102-80 rout of Congo on Wednesday (Manila time) at Palacio Multiusos de Guadalajara in Spain.
“I am actually pleasantly surprised,” Guiao was quoted as saying in a report by ESPN5. “I knew we have a really good team. The chemistry was really good, cohesion was good. We shot the ball well.”
“For a 40-minute game, to score 102 points against a national team, I guess that shows that offensively the system is working,” he added.
The bigger thrill was watching Japeth Aguilar, a mainstay who was among the last to hook up with the Nationals because of his stint with Barangay Ginebra in the Commissioner’s Cup semifinals, serve as one of the spearheads in the win.
Aguilar and Andray Blatche, according to the ESPN5 report, boosted the fast start of Gilas by anchoring a strong second half that flustered Congo.
Blatche had 25 points while Aguilar added 22 for the Nationals who dominated the Congolese, 31-16, in the third quarter to take an 84-60 advantage entering the final frame.