GILAS Pilipinas got a much-needed boost three days before it kicks off its drive in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Playing like they’ve been together for the longest time, the nationals pulled off an 86-81 victory over the Changwon LG Sakers of Korea in their tune-up match last Saturday at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The win was a big morale-booster for Gilas, which takes on Bahrain, which will be led by former PBA import Wayne Chism, tomorrow at the start of Group C action.
But interim coach Tim Cone refused to see it that, saying: “It’s dangerous to say that all together. It was a morale booster just in terms of we feel like we know we can play with each other. In my book, we played better than I thought we would. So that’s a little scary because, again, you don’t judge it by one game.
“But I think what was important about this game was that the players got a little belief in each other, and they are starting to believe a little bit that maybe we can do something,” he added.
Gilas left last night via a Philippine Airlines flight to Shanghai and will proceed to the northwestern Zhejiang province, where the team will stay at Park Hyatt Hotel.
After Bahrain, Gilas collides with a Jordan side fielding former PBA best import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as a naturalized player, and Thailand.
Cone refused to get giddy on the squad’s triumph against the quintet that had two imports and is a top tier pro squad in South Korea.
“They are not a Korean national team. They are not a Chinese national team. They’re not Jordan,” Cone said. “But they are a good team. They got boards and they’re really big and the imports are really good, and we had to battle them,” Cone said.
“They should perform really well just like any other group. I believe they were the runner-up in the Korean league last year so it’s a tough team. We’ll take it for now. We got to get back. We know we got to get better.”
Naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame banner the final 12-man Gilas roster with reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson, former six-time MVP winner June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Calvin Oftana and Chris Newsome.
Late additions Chris Ross, CJ Perez, Marcio Lassiter, Kevin Alas, and Arvin Tolentino made the team after Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Jason Perkins, and Mo Tautuaa were declared ineligible by the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee.
Roger Pogoy failed to get a medical clearance and was replaced by Marcio Lassiter.
Group A is made up of Iran, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, and UAE. Lebanon will be replaced by Hong Kong in Group B after it pulled out due to “injuries to its players.” Chinese Taipei, Mongolia, and China complete Group B.
Group D has Japan, Indonesia, Qatar, and South Korea.
Cone steered the Centennial five to a bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok.
