Poor defense doomed Gilas vs Jordan, says Justin Brownlee

Gilas Pilipinas’ naturalized center Justin Brownlee. –FIBA PHOTO

BOCAUE — All that catching up the Philippines did on Monday night in its losing stand against Jordan wouldn’t have been necessary had Gilas Pilipinas played stingy defense early, according to Justin Brownlee.

“In the first half, I think it’s just our defense,” the naturalized player said shortly after the 91-90 loss to the visitors in the Philippine Arena.

“If we were able to tighten our defense in the first half, the game would’ve been different,” he added.

The hosts found themselves trailing by double digits in the first two quarters and even slipped into a 25-point rut 8:23 in the second frame.

If not for Brownlee’s herculean effort of 41 points and 12 rebounds, Gilas would’ve been blown off the floor in their second and final home stand.

But the beloved PBA import insists that the rest of Gilas’ locals were just as resilient.

“You saw the will, the energy, and the fight in this team. Filipino basketball is about playing with heart and giving it all you’ve got and that’s what we did,” he said.

Ever the optimist, Brownlee was already looking at how the loss would shape the future of the cage program.

“We learned a lot from this loss. We’re just looking to move forward,” he said. “Even though we lost, we are definitely going to learn a lot from this loss. I had a lot of joy playing with the guys, for the flag, and for the Philippines. It’s a life[-long] memory.”