Gilas’ latest tune-up games were a revelation.
Gilas Pilipinas unleashed a fourth quarter blitz against Senegal to come up with an impressive 75-63 victory at the Heyuan WUS International Basketball Tournament in China on Sunday. With their second win in the pocket tilt, Chot Reyes and his wards exorcised their 72-64 loss to the same Senegalese squad three days ago.
Down six entering the final period, Bobby Ray Parks Jr. came alive and scored 8 points, which spearheaded Gilas’ furious rally.
After the game, Reyes lauded his squad’s performance but at the same time, divulged a conundrum that he’s facing, which is choosing Gilas’ final 12 for the FIBA World Cup.
“As you can see, we’re playing everyone. It’s really because we want to take a look at various combinations,” Coach Chot told One Sports' Carlo Pamintuan.
“The way the guys are playing and [considering] the effort they’re putting on the floor, it’s making it extremely hard for us to make those decisions,” he added.
Aside from Parks, there were several other Gilas players who stepped up big time, including Cjay Perez, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos, and June Mar Fajardo. Even Kiefer Ravena joined the party by hitting a late three-pointer to put the game to bed.
In terms of point-production, Perez led the way with 14 points. Edu, who also nailed a crucial three-ball in the clutch, followed with 13 points. Ramos and Fajardo meanwhile, chipped in 12 and 11 markers, respectively.
After seeing an all-out effort like that from his charges, who can blame Reyes for having a hard time putting together his final 12? To make things tougher, key players like Jordan Clarkson, Scottie Thompson, and Kai Sotto weren’t able to make the trip to China. But still, they can be considered as almost shoo-ins to make the final lineup.
In the meantime, Gilas must stay focused on the task at hand. For the tournament finale, Philippines will take on Iran at 8 p.m. tonight, Monday. Catch the game on One Sports.
(With reports from Carlo Pamintuan, One Sports)
(GM)