Gilas Pilipinas wouldn't need a massive comeback effort if this happened.
Justin Brownlee had a very simple analysis on what went wrong for Gilas Pilipinas in the national team's one-point loss to Jordan on Monday night.
The naturalized Filipino said things would have been different if they opened their final FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers game a little bit better, particularly on defense.
"We just didn't start the game very well, mostly defensively. Our offense is pretty good, but defensively we didn't come out [well]," Brownlee said. "If we could have come out the way we did the second half in the first half, I think it would have been a different outcome, I think that's the main thing."
Gilas Pilipinas trailed by 19 points at the half and allowed Jordan to shoot 12 three-pointers on 50% shooting from beyond the arc. Brownlee, who lifted Gilas Pilipinas throughout the game with a 41-point explosion, praised Jordan's first half performance.
"They hit some tough shots in the first half and a lot of threes."
The national team caught up in the second half and even had the chance to tie and take the lead in the final minute, but Brownlee's Barangay Ginebra San Miguel teammate Scottie Thompson missed what he called the "biggest missed free throws of his career." Brownlee and the rest of the boys in blue are not pointing fingers though.
"Just a hard-fought game. Of course we want to win the game but Jordan came out and played very well in the first half and we had a great second half but unfortunately we came up a little bit short."