AFTER absorbing a numbing loss to Lebanon in its opener last Wednesday, Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes said his charges will continue to learn the ropes and play as a team.
“Unfortunate that the result turned out this way, but I thought we made a great run. For us, it’s a great learning experience,” Reyes said after the nationals dropped an 80-95 defeat to the hot-shooting Lebanese side.
“We have a very young team here, and for them to be able to experience this kind of very high-level competition, I think that’s the most important thing,” he added.
How Gilas will make good use of those lessons will be known when they tangle with India today in the FIBA Asia Cup at the Istorya Senayan in Jakarta.
The Group D match is set at 4 p.m., with Gilas trying to repeat over the Indians, whom they handily beat 79-63 in the third window of the World Cup Asian qualifiers 12 days ago.
India is coming off a 47-100 drubbing at the hands of powerhouse New Zealand also last Wednesday.
The Filipinos trailed 39-46 at the half and 60-82 early in the payoff period before Carl Tamayo anchored a 14-1 blitz that pulled Gilas to within 74-83 with 4:42 to go.
But Lebanon held its ground the rest of the way to foil Gilas’ last-ditch comeback bid.
SJ Belangel SJ Belangel paced the Philippines with 17 points on three three-pointers, to go with three assists, while Bobby Ray Parks Jr. had 15 markers and four rebounds in his Gilas return.
Tamayo also had 15 points, while Thirdy Ravena battled through a deep cut in his right eyebrow after a scary fall late in the second quarter and finished with 10 points, five boards, and two dimes. — Michael Jugado
