Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes. –FIBA PHOTO
BOCAUE, Bulacan — Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes lamented their “nightmare start” but was still pleased with how his wards fought back from a huge deficit in the first half despite losing to Jordan, 91-90, to end their Fiba World Cup 2023 Asian Qualifiers campaign on Monday at Philippine Arena.
“Exactly what my pre-game talk was about: this is another test. Friday is done, it’s over, and this is another test. And tonight, we got tested, and despite the result, I’m still very pleased with the way we played, particularly in the second half,” Reyes said after their four-game winning streak was halted.
Coming off a big 107-96 win over Lebanon last Friday, the Philippines had no answer to Jordan’s hot start as the Jordanians sank 12 3-pointers in the first half and led as many as 25 points, 41-16, early in the second quarter.
But Gilas clawed its way back with Justin Brownlee erupting for 41 points to put themselves within one, 91-90, with 1:30 left only for Scottie Thompson to muff two crucial free throws and Ray Parks Jr. miss a potential game-winning basket.
“We gave ourselves a chance to win the ball game. And in the end, that’s what these games are for, right?” Reyes said.
Reyes said they made defensive adjustments after allowing Jordan, led by Dar Tucker and Freddy Ibrahim, to score 60 points at the half.
“We just tweaked some things in our defense at halftime. And then, also made a more intentional effort to counter what they were doing defensively. We gave up 60 points at halftime, I mean, Tim Cone was almost having a heart attack at the dugout,” he said. “But we only gave up half of that in the second half. So like I said, great adjustment. We just fell short.”
Reyes was also in awe of Brownlee, who matched the highest scoring output by a Gilas Pilipinas player in a game, tying former naturalized center Andray Blatche.
But what he likes the most about the Barangay Ginebra star is his commitment to playing for the country.
“With Justin’s performance, there’s little to say. You all saw how effective Justin is and how well he played,” he said. “As regards who the naturalized player is, Justin has always known that he makes himself available for whatever is required by the team. If we need someone to play in specific tournaments, if we need someone to play as a back-up for Jordan Clarkson, he’s willing to play that role.”
Gilas finished with a 6-4 record in Group E to end the qualifiers, winning four of its last five assignments.
Reyes said there are no shoo-ins as of the moment and they are still waiting for the draw for the country’s hosting of the World Cup, which tips off in August.