IT TOOK TWO OVERTIMES TO DEFEAT GILAS PILIPINAS!
- 12 hours ago
- 4 min read
I can't really say anything bad about Gilas Pilipinas after this game. They came out determined to win, but they fell short. That's the unfortunate reality of basketball. There can only be one winner, and there are no co-winners.
It took two overtimes for New Zealand to finally put us away. The Tall Blacks had a game plan, and they stuck to it.
Sure, Justin Brownlee will have to answer for his poor offensive performance and the costly mistakes he committed in regulation and the second overtime.
But despite the loss, there were still plenty of positives to take away.
Carl Tamayo finally broke out. We've always seen him as a Gilas mainstay for years to come, but this game proved he has what it takes to become a meaningful part of the rotation.
Then there's Kevin Quiambao. His barrage of three-pointers, especially in the third quarter, erased an 11-point deficit and gave Gilas all the momentum heading into the fourth.
And how about Juan Gomez de Liano? His archetype is exactly what this Gilas team needs. Throughout the program's history, we've had players like Jimmy Alapag and Jayson Castro who weren't afraid to take the shots others wouldn't. At the same time, Juan GDL also reminds me of Paul Lee and Terrence Romeo whenever they suited up for Gilas. Yes, they're isolation-heavy players who sometimes stray from the designed offense, but when the system isn't working, they're still capable of creating something out of nothing.
One clutch three to keep the game alive is special. Knocking down another to force double overtime is downright legendary.
Those three, along with RJ Abarrientos, carried the fight for Gilas.
That said, their big games may have come at the expense of our two primary stars.
Dwight Ramos finished with 18 points, but he also shot just 6-of-17 from the field before fouling out.
Justin Brownlee, however, was on another level altogether, and not in a good way. He finished with just five points, five fouls, and only three field-goal attempts. He spent most of the game serving as a decoy because of Carlin Davison's defense. He also committed a couple of costly turnovers that New Zealand converted into points, ultimately helping them secure the win.
Brownlee looked so out of sorts that when he returned to the bench, you could see Alfrancis Chua refusing his high-five while giving him one hell of a glare. For a second, it felt like Chua already had Bennie Boatwright on speed dial with a plane ticket waiting to be booked the moment his naturalization papers got approved.
I don't know if age finally caught up with Brownlee or if he simply wasn't feeling well, but it was completely uncharacteristic to see him that quiet and ineffective.
Now, don't get me wrong. I still believe in Justin Brownlee. Like I said, after everything he has done for Gilas, he's bound to have an off night every once in a while. It's not like New Zealand was giving him easy looks, either. For most of the game, he served as a decoy because he simply had no choice.
In a way, that opened opportunities for the younger players to step up and get quality looks. The only downside was that, despite Brownlee's shooting struggles, the team still viewed him as the go-to guy down the stretch. As a result, the offense became tentative. Aside from Juan Gomez de Liano, nobody seemed willing to attack the way they did in the earlier quarters. They were so accustomed to Brownlee taking over in those moments that when he couldn't, the offense lost some of its rhythm and confidence.
There's another thing people may have overlooked. As early as the first overtime, Gilas was already running on fumes. Even Juan Gomez de Liano was bent over from exhaustion, which probably explains why Chris Newsome suddenly found himself back in the game. That's saying something considering Juan GDL logged fewer than 22 minutes.
Five Gilas players played at least 30 minutes, while Justine Baltazar never even checked into the game. I know Tim Cone prefers a tight rotation, but Balti isn't Mason Amos. He's a legitimate contributor, and Cone could have used him, Mike Phillips, or Troy Rosario, just to buy his main guys a few minutes of rest.
FIBA BOXSCORES
I also think fatigue played a huge role in Gilas' decision-making during the closing seconds of the first overtime. If New Zealand was going to apply full-court pressure, then everyone should have been making themselves available for the outlet pass. Instead, Carl Tamayo received the ball and was immediately trapped.
Sure, Tamayo could have thrown up a desperate pass and hoped a teammate would come up with it. But honestly, I think he made the right decision by protecting the basketball instead. At that point, the last thing Gilas needed was a careless turnover that could have led to an easy New Zealand basket.
Still, Gilas gave New Zealand one hell of a fight on its home floor. Sure, there were a couple of hometown calls, but it's not like we don't get those same breaks whenever visiting teams play in the Philippines.
In the end, all that chasing eventually caught up with Gilas. They got tired, but they lost with their heads held high.
I honestly cringed when Quinito Henson said, "Lesson learned." After seeing what Tim Cone has gone through, I seriously doubt there's another coach eager to take over the Gilas program, knowing how stressful the job is both on and off the court.
Tab Baldwin?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
I'll stop now.
Anyway, the good news is that Gilas is still through to the next round.
Yes, Australia is an even bigger challenge than New Zealand, but Guam isn't advancing anyway. In a way, Gilas benefited from landing in the middle of the strongest team in the group and the weakest one.
That also means the real work begins in the next round. Gilas will have to deal with powerhouse Iran, our longtime Middle Eastern rival Jordan, and an overachieving Syria squad.
I'm not saying we should already concede against Australia. Winning six straight games against the rest of the field may be possible, but it certainly won't be easy.
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