GILAS: 'Stretch 4' an ideal replacement for Blatche says coach Chot
Andray Blatche is not getting any younger, and looking at the current Gilas Pilipinas calendar, it seems like the national team is more than ready to move on from him as the no. 1 naturalized player. Which begs the million-dollar question though: Who should replace Andray Blatche on Gilas Pilipinas? There are some names, the more popular ones now are Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee and former PBA champion with San Miguel Chris McCullough. Getting a naturalized player is not as simple as it sounds. Brownlee has been a favorite for the longest time and yet it appears his naturalization process hasn't moved forward in the slightest. It might be a difficult venture to replace Blatche but when Gilas is ready to go, the national team should prioritize one type of player according to former coach Chot Reyes. "We need a tall guy who can also play outside," Reyes said on Coaches Unfiltered. "That's the way we give other teams problems, if our big man can also be a stretch 4-5 then that's the perfect type of player," he added. While a dual-threat big man is the ideal option, the development of our young prospects gives Gilas room to get creative. If the future national team is bannered by skilled seven-footers like Kai Sotto and AJ Edu, another big man might prove to be redundant. Adding a versatile wing piece could be better in that future scenario. "If Kai and AJ Edu develop as we think they should, then maybe we can look at somebody that is more skillful," Reyes said. "More all-around wingman type that can play also play guard, forward, and shoot the three," he added. Thinking about the ideal naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas sure is exciting, but the process of getting one on board entails a lot of realities the program must face. For one, Gilas must find a good and young enough player that is not already-affliated with a different national team. Said player must be willing to play for the Philippines too. "There just one very important thing. If that player is really good, chances are he's going to play for his [own] country or he's already play in the national team. Andray Blatche was really a one-in-a-million situation for us," Reyes said. "If we have a 7-footer out there that's pretty young, and he has to be willing to give up his citizenship. Well, not really his citizenship, but if he plays for the Philippine national team, he cannot play anywhere else. It's a difficult proposition. It entails a lot of planning and forward looking," coach Chot added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
GILAS: 'Stretch 4' an ideal replacement for Blatche says coach Chot
Andray Blatche is not getting any younger, and looking at the current Gilas Pilipinas calendar, it seems like the national team is more than ready to move on from him as the no. 1 naturalized player. Which begs the million-dollar question though: Who should replace Andray Blatche on Gilas Pilipinas? There are some names, the more popular ones now are Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee and former PBA champion with San Miguel Chris McCullough. Getting a naturalized player is not as simple as it sounds. Brownlee has been a favorite for the longest time and yet it appears his naturalization process hasn't moved forward in the slightest. It might be a difficult venture to replace Blatche but when Gilas is ready to go, the national team should prioritize one type of player according to former coach Chot Reyes. "We need a tall guy who can also play outside," Reyes said on Coaches Unfiltered. "That's the way we give other teams problems, if our big man can also be a stretch 4-5 then that's the perfect type of player," he added. While a dual-threat big man is the ideal option, the development of our young prospects gives Gilas room to get creative. If the future national team is bannered by skilled seven-footers like Kai Sotto and AJ Edu, another big man might prove to be redundant. Adding a versatile wing piece could be better in that future scenario. "If Kai and AJ Edu develop as we think they should, then maybe we can look at somebody that is more skillful," Reyes said. "More all-around wingman type that can play also play guard, forward, and shoot the three," he added. Thinking about the ideal naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas sure is exciting, but the process of getting one on board entails a lot of realities the program must face. For one, Gilas must find a good and young enough player that is not already-affliated with a different national team. Said player must be willing to play for the Philippines too. "There just one very important thing. If that player is really good, chances are he's going to play for his [own] country or he's already play in the national team. Andray Blatche was really a one-in-a-million situation for us," Reyes said. "If we have a 7-footer out there that's pretty young, and he has to be willing to give up his citizenship. Well, not really his citizenship, but if he plays for the Philippine national team, he cannot play anywhere else. It's a difficult proposition. It entails a lot of planning and forward looking," coach Chot added. — Follow this writer on Twitter, @paullintag8.....»»
Right man for job
Gilas head coach Tim Cone will be the first to insist that Chot Reyes deserves recognition for laying the groundwork to build the foundation for the national squad whose four-year goal is to make it to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics......»»
Kevin Quiambao, Topex Robinson beef up Strong Group squad for Dubai joust
La Salle star Kevin Quiambao and head coach Topex Robinson join an exciting Strong Group Athletics squad that will be bannered by former NBA players Dwight Howard and Andray Blatche.....»»
Our team
The 19th Asian Games have yet to start, but Gilas Pilipinas is already winning the hearts and minds of Filipinos. Gilas coach Tim Cone swept local fans off their feet when he allowed them to watch their joint training session with the Gilas Women team last Thursday at the PhilSports Arena. After their workout, San Miguel Corporation director Alfrancis Chua gave the fans five minutes to have their pictures taken with their basketball idols. But when Cone approached Chua, he suddenly changed his mind and increased the allotted time to 15 minutes. Seeing Gilas — a collection of the country’s most popular and wealthiest athletes — go out of their way to mingle with fans is truly heartwarming. And it won’t be the last time they will see their basketball heroes as Cone has invited them anew to watch their friendly match against Changwon LG Sakers on Friday. But just a few weeks ago, this beautiful bond between Gilas and their fans was unthinkable. Gilas struggled to gain public support during the country’s hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup. At the same time, their head coach, Chot Reyes, was being bashed and heckled mercilessly due to their forgettable performance. Fans questioned Reyes’s integrity as a coach, especially when he benched Kai Sotto in their first game against the Dominican Republic. He was also criticized for relying too much on National Basketball Association star Jordan Clarkson, raising speculations that he was unprepared for the world’s biggest and most prestigious basketball event. The fans inside the Smart Araneta Coliseum made their presence felt. They booed Reyes during the player introductions against Italy, prompting some of his players, like Kiefer Ravena, Rhenz Abando and Clarkson, to rush to his defense. Even Reyes’s outfit didn’t escape the eyes of the public. Social media exploded with insults, adverse reactions, and comments after Reyes flaunted an ultra-expensive Thom Browne suit during their game against Angola. The money he spent, reportedly around P200,000, wasn’t worth it as Gilas suffered a 70-80 loss to the Angolans, dealing a major blow to their chances of advancing to the knockout stages. But his manner of coaching and posh outfit were not the only reasons Reyes struggled to deodorize his public image. When Gilas was preparing for the World Cup, Reyes shut the doors of their practice facility to fans and sportswriters. Instead of making the team available, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas assigned a media liaison who disseminated information and narrated what was happening through short videos and photos regularly posted on social media. That was the practice when Gilas trained at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, as well as when they were in Estonia and Lithuania. Gilas also played friendly matches against Ivory Coast, Mexico, and Montenegro at the PhilSports Arena with no one but a very few team staffers and federation officials in attendance. With the friendly matches being inaccessible, sportswriters had to resort to checking the social media pages of Gilas’s opponents and the SBP to get information and avoid the wrath of their editors. They jokingly called it “socmed journalism.” That’s why the appointment of Cone as Gilas’ head coach is a breath of fresh air. The 65-year-old Cone may be an American, but he knows the importance of gaining public approval. In fact, he started his career as a villain in the eyes of the masses after engaging with the charismatic Robert Jaworski in numerous coaching battles. But he let his coaching do the talking as he led Alaska to a grand slam in 1996 before winning another triple crown with San Mig Coffee in 2014. At Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, the most popular professional team in the country, Cone further cemented his reputation as a well-loved, well-respected coach when he turned the likes of LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, Scottie Thompson and Justin Brownlee into fan favorites. Now, Cone is at the helm of Gilas Pilipinas, armed with a mission of not only winning an Asian Games medal but also bringing the national players closer to the public. It’s a tough order. But Cone is carrying it out to perfection. The post Our team appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Cone ‘best man’ as new Gilas coach
Former coach Chot Reyes couldn’t be happier with the appointment of the new man at Gilas Pilipinas helm, saying multi-titled Tim Cone is “the best man for the job.”.....»»
Cone to coach Gilas in Asiad
Tim Cone has been appointed as head coach of Gilas Pilipinas in the 19th Asian Games following the resignation of Chot Reyes. According to a DAILY TRIBUNE source, Cone’s appointment had been formalized during a meeting among Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Willie Marcial, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas and PBA vice chairman Bobby Rosales last Tuesday in Makati City. Also present in the meeting brokered by San Miguel Corporation president Ramon Ang was SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua. Cone will be assisted by his deputy at Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in Richard del Rosario while Chua will serve as team manager. It’s going to be Cone’s first time to coach the national squad in the Asian Games after leading the Centennial Team to a bronze medal in the 1998 Asian Games in Bangkok. He also coached the Nationals to a gold medal in the 30th Southeast Asian Games that the country hosted in 2019. The post Cone to coach Gilas in Asiad appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Quo Vadis Gilas?
Over the past week, basketball crazy FIBA co-host Philippines has been the mecca for world basketball. Hordes of foreign basketball fans eager to support their teams have trooped to our country, and along with thousands of local fans, including yours truly, have endured the hardships of hours long traffic, bewildering weather of humidity, heat and massive rainfall melding intermittently all within the day enroute to the venues, just to witness live the World Cup’s top hoopsters. Despite what I felt were atrociously expensive tickets for the lower box sections, being an incorrigible basketball fanatic, I just felt that I could not pass up the chance to be part of the once in a lifetime World Cup experience, particularly since I would be in the company of family friends, businessman basketball-sportscaster Dominic Uy who shared his insightful off-court commentaries and who was responsible for getting us some great seats, my erstwhile golfing partner Cookie la’O who had partnered with me decades back to bag the prestigious Mango Tee Tournament championship in Alabang, and my son-in-law, noted New Balance shoe designer Gabe la’O, who flew all the way from New Hampshire to watch some top-notch games. Never mind that they are all as La Salle Green as can be but their youthful energies in cheering their hearts out for every basket, block, steal and mad breakaway was infectious. I watched the US-Greece and Gilas-Italy games live and the experience did not disappoint. The highlights of those games in consonance with the tremendous roars of the fans will be replayed in my memory bank over and over again for a long time to come. But, of course, like all true-blue basketball aficionados, recounting and analyzing the wows of a won game and the what-ifs of a heartbreaker and the future of Gilas is par for the course. So here goes. Despite the four heartbreaking defeats to the Dominican Republic, Angola, Italy and South Sudan, the last game of Gilas winning against the undisputed Asian champion, China, has given us a slight glimmer of hope, again, to have a chance to make it to Paris next year. Although the win was masterfully achieved as a team effort, undoubtedly it was Jordan Clarkson who practically carried Gilas on his shoulders with his hot 3-point shooting in the third quarter. Even China’s coach Sasha Dordevic and NBA star Li Kaier of the Minneapolis Timberwolves pointed to Clarkson as the main reason for their never-before lopsided loss to Gilas. Because of this win, Gilas is ranked 24th out of the 32 participating countries, enough to allow us to participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and so the buzz over Gilas’ chances continues. What changes are needed? As far as the team composition is concerned, unless there are injuries, I believe the current line-up is as good as it can get. All are unquestionably standouts. On the other hand, as far as the coaching leadership is concerned, Chot Reyes already declared immediately after the win over China that he is stepping down because the incessant social media abuse from his critics has been “brutal” for him and his family. Kudos to Chot for his service to the country and for making this move rightly expected of any leader who has not delivered on the goals. The options, however, are limited. And worse, there is an extremely short timeline to make the choice because the Asian Games starts on 23 September. Tab Baldwin of course is the popular clamor, but the UAAP season begins as well this September and I don’t think he will leave the Blue Eagles coachless. Also it seems that there could be some pushback from certain SBA and PBA quarters who might not be too keen on Tab’s up front in your face style. Tim Cone is my own bet because not only is he an equally great coach but also for continuity since he is already in the Gilas coaching staff. Regardless of the choice, however, the problem of conflicting schedules of the players with their home teams will continue to be an obstacle to building a Gilas team that needs to be properly honed with significant playing time together. PBA and SBP will have to somehow firmly reach an understanding, otherwise Gilas fans will have to face up to the reality of more heartbreaks. Quo Vadis Gilas? Until next week… OBF! For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com The post Quo Vadis Gilas? appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Phl glitters after Gilas routs China
Although the aspirational campaign of the Philippines for a berth in the Paris Olympics in 2024 is all over, the 38,155 Filipinos and millions of others are hurting. Why should Gilas Pilipinas suffer four straight losses before waking up to the reality that we are the host of the world’s most prestigious basketball tournament? National interest should have been the guiding principle in preparing for this global affair that our people love so much. In deference to the presence of our guests let us wait after they have left to discuss in this column the various other interests that may have spoiled our preparation for FIBA World Cup 2023 Philippines. Meanwhile, let us share and enjoy together the blessings that this thing called sport has provided us in celebration of humanity in our country. It was midway through the third quarter before Jordan Clarkson took over with his fantastic shooting, with four straight three-point shots that put Gilas ahead 73-51 at the end of the third, maintaining that lead until the end of the fourth, with the final score, Philippines 96, China 75. Clarkson scored 34, Rhenz Abando 14, Kai Sotto 12, Dwight Ramos 11, Jun Mar Fajardo 9, Roger Ray Pogoy 7, AJ Edu 5, Scottie Thompson 4, Kiefer Ravena 0, Japeth Aguilar 0. This situation was similar in the first game of Gilas with the Dominican Republic, except that had Chot paced Clarkson and allowed him some rest before the fourth quarter, the inaugural game could have been an easy win for the home team. The colossal defeat devastated the 38,115 basketball-crazy fans present. The attendance at the world’s largest indoor coliseum in the country registered in the Guinness World Records the biggest numbers for a single FIBA World Cup basketball match. It took Chot and his players to play “and practice” four times and lose on thin margins — in the Philippine Arena, Mall of Asia, and Araneta Coliseum — before the watchful eyes of basketball enthusiasts from all over the sports capitals of the world. It was only after the fourth loss that Chot gained mastery of the plays that could clinch a victory, and he did it wonderfully. It was a massacre. Gilas registered its biggest win ever, at home, in FIBA World Cup history. The fault, perhaps, for Gilas’ four losses lay in a lack of practice. Had the team had sufficient time to practice their winning combinations, it might have been a different story. No sports team in the world can win a championship without practice. Practice makes perfect. Jordan Clarkson saved the Philippines from another winless FIBA World Cup run, salvaging a lackluster team performance. The third-place finish of the national team in the 1954 FIBA World Cup in Brazil has remained unsurpassed by any Asian country until now. The 1954 squad will always be remembered for having been inducted into the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame of the Philippine Sports Commission. The feat of the immortal squad included winning six and losing only two. The Philippines beat the following countries: Paraguay 64-52; Taipei 48-38; Uruguay 67-63; Canada 83-76; Israel 90-56; and France 66-60. The Philippines lost to: Brazil 62-99; and USA 43-56. The scoring leader was Carlos Loyzaga with an average score of 16.4 points per game. The captain ball was Lauro Mumar and the coach was Herminio Silva. Player and senator-to-be Ambrosio Padilla headed the 1954 national basketball team. The post Phl glitters after Gilas routs China appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chot: Remember me as someone who fought
If Chot Reyes wants to be remembered for one thing as Gilas Pilipinas coach mentor, it should be his fighting spirit......»»
It’s not just Chot
Basketball-crazy Filipinos are up in arms, bashing Chot Reyes following Gilas Pilipinas’ disastrous performance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup. Well, they have a point. As head coach, Reyes was supposed to carry out the special mission of leading Gilas Pilipinas to a respectable performance in the World Cup and an outright berth in the 2024 Summer Olympics. He was given everything he needed. In fact, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas opened its wallet to fly in National Basketball Association superstar Jordan Clarkson and Kai Sotto from the United States, while the best Filipino players inside and outside the Philippine Basketball Association were enlisted to assemble the country’s tallest and most talented roster ever. When Gilas Pilipinas was about to take on the Dominican Republic in the World Cup opener, the government even declared a holiday in Metro Manila and Bulacan so fans could troop to the Philippine Arena to express their support. But what happened? Gilas opened its campaign with a disappointing loss to the Dominicans before displaying subpar performances against Angola and Italy to get relegated to the classification phase. Against South Sudan, a country that only gained its independence in 2011, Gilas Pilipinas was sluggish as it trailed by 18 points at halftime. Although the Filipinos showed some flashes of brilliance in the third period, the South Sudanese proved they were the better team as they delivered a strong finishing kick to seal their victory. The loss to South Sudan sparked an outrage among Filipino fans. They claim that Reyes is no longer the right leader for Gilas as he got outclassed and outcoached by the most brilliant minds in international basketball. At one point, South Sudan coach Royal Ivey made Reyes look like an amateur as he made some key adjustments while calmly instructing his wards not to panic amid the Filipinos’ fiery rally. Prior to the game against the Africans, Reyes texted his principal — SBP chairman emeritus Manny Pangilinan — a short but sincere message: Sorry Boss. The following day, Reyes confirmed his message and took full responsibility for what is arguably one of the darkest and most embarrassing chapters in the history of Philippine basketball. Truly, it’s time for Reyes to go. But is he the only person who deserves all the blame for this humiliating performance? Definitely not. The fate of Gilas had been cemented long before they battled the powerhouse Dominicans that fateful Friday evening in Bulacan. If we really want to trace what went wrong in the Gilas program, we have to go back to as far as last year when Kiwi-American mentor Tab Baldwin suddenly resigned as head coach so he could focus on handling the basketball program of Ateneo de Manila University. With no head coach and most of the players campaigning in either Japan or Korea, the SBP pressed the panic button and instructed Reyes to hop from TNT Tropang Giga back to Gilas so he could save the program that was already teetering on the brink of a massive disaster. The results were far from impressive as Gilas blew hot and cold in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers and finished ninth in the FIBA Asia Cup. The most shameful performance, however, was in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi when a rag-tag Gilas crew suffered a gut-wrenching 85-81 setback to Indonesia in the gold medal match, prompting Reyes to tender his resignation the moment he landed in Manila. But the federation rejected it. Pangilinan and Panlilio wanted Reyes to stay until the FIBA World Cup and finish the job that was initially intended for Baldwin. Now that Reyes has failed, the entire country is crucifying him. Sure, Reyes is no saint. He also has a lot of shortcomings. But before we bash him, let us remember: It’s not just Chot. The post It’s not just Chot appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Winless Gilas heads to China clash with really low morale
Gilas Pilipinas is trying to keep its focus on its last game at the FIBA World Cup against China despite a “really low” morale, head coach Chot Reyes said......»»
Sorry, boss: MVP says Chot apologized for Gilas FIBA World Cup performance
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) chairman emeritus Manny Pangilinan said Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes apologized to him after the Philippines crashed out of the FIBA World Cup......»»
Clarkson weirded out by booing from home crowd
The home crowd booing Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes ahead of the Philippine team’s FIBA World Cup clash against Italy at the Smart Araneta Coliseum Tuesday is “weird,” according to star Jordan Clarkson......»»
Can’t ask for more: Chot lauds Gilas for gallant stand vs World No. 10 Italy
Despite falling to Italy and going 0-3 in the FIBA World Cup group phase, Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes said he is proud of his players......»»
Chot defends dealing with tricky national team rotations
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes admitted that finding minutes for all 12 players in a roster is “tricky,” especially in a national team......»»
No love for Chot as Gilas takes the floor vs Italy
Boos rained on Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes on home soil once again......»»
Ravena stands by Chot amid boos from frustrated Gilas fans
Kiefer Ravena isn’t going to turn on his head coach in the middle of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, jumping to Chot Reyes’ defense after their 90-83 loss to Italy......»»
Gilas heartbreakers
The FIBA World Cup games have begun with an opening night of flag-waving, music-filled entertainment proudly showcasing our much-heralded love for singing and dancing. And for the next two weeks, basketball fanatics will be focused on the best of the best hoopsters in the world. Political leanings will be set aside and diplomatic disagreements among competing nations momentarily ignored by 32 countries bannered by a record number of 55 NBA players amicably but surely passionately battling for national pride on the hardcourts of Manila, Jakarta and Okinawa. Undoubtedly, the Philippines has prepared long and hard. Undoubtedly, our Gilas pool of an exciting combination of youthful and seasoned cagers possessed finally with enough height, girth, and basketball savvy to be internationally competitive have stepped up and put their individual professional careers on hold for the opportunity to don the colors of the country. Undoubtedly, MVP, the godfather and financial backer of SBP, has done his utmost best to deliver for the Filipino people the much-cherished dream of returning our basketball team to the Olympics by topping other Asian countries in the World Cup. Undoubtedly, the Filipino fans have continued to pour their hearts out for Gilas, desperately hoping for the much-fantasized victories over the top teams of the world starting with the higher-ranked countries in our group, namely, #10 Italy and #23 Dominican Republic versus our #40 rank. And certainly, a win against lower-ranked #41 Angola would not be an outsized expectation. So, what has happened so far? As of this writing, I must say that, surely, like millions of our countrymen, my heart is utterly heartbroken. Why? Two Gilas games have just been concluded and much to our lament, although we still have one more game to play against Italy, our aspirations for moving up to the second round of 16 have been shattered for all intents and purposes. We still have a long shot for a Hail Mary miracle if the Dominicans beat the Angolans, our tormentors in the second game of Gilas, and IF we beat Italy. This slimmest of slim scenarios will have Gilas tied with Italy and Angola at one win and two losses each, which will have to be settled on point differentials. We first lost to the Dominican Republic 87- 81 in a tightly contested match-up. Our team stood toe to toe against NBA star Karl Anthony Towns, an unstoppable behemoth every time he drove in on his strong side against the defenses of AJ Edu and our own man mountain June Mar Fajardo. Both defenders nevertheless stood out with their steady shooting and defensive efforts. The first game against the Dominicans, to the credit of our undersized team, was a nip-and-tuck affair all throughout that could have gone either way until our scoring machine, NBA star Jordan Clarkson, fouled out with about three minutes left. Without Clarkson to respond to Towns, the game of Gilas quickly unraveled and the outcome became inevitable. The game against Angola started and ended quite differently. With dimming hopes for moving up to the next round, Gilas ferociously came out strong, even leading by as many as 11 points in the second quarter. Clarkson’s shooting, however, was not as sharp, hitting only 32 percent compared to his 38 percent clip against the Dominicans and Gilas’ penchant for turnovers continued to hurt. By the start of the fourth quarter, Angola took control and never looked back. Some lessons to be learned. No matter how great a player Clarkson is, other players will have to step up more consistently. Basketball after all is and will always be about team play. Fajardo was marvelous in the Dominican game but couldn’t maintain his strong play in the match-up against Angola’s NBA Atlanta Hawks center, Bruno Fernando. On the other hand, Edu, Dwight, and Pogoy showed intermittent flashes of brilliance but lacked game-long consistency. The much heralded Kai Sotto, perhaps through no fault of his own since he was denied sufficient playing time to show his stuff, was flat and didn’t really wow the crowd. But perhaps the biggest question asked by basketball pundits is if coach Chot Reyes is up to par compared to the brilliant bench tactician Tab Baldwin who unexpectedly stepped down as Gilas coach. Until next week… OBF! *** For comments, email bing_matoto@yahoo.com. The post Gilas heartbreakers appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Chot still hopeful as Gilas scrambles to nail elusive win, stay in race for Olympic berth
With Gilas Pilipinas’ flickering hopes to get the lone Asian Olympic seat, head coach Chot Reyes said the team is focusing on things they could control in their last group stage game......»»
FIBA: Angola blasts Gilas
An Angolan team came out to disrupt Gilas Pilipinas’ game plan and succeeded in running away with an 80-70 triumph in the FIBA Asia Cup in front of a stunned crowd of 12,784 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum on Sunday. Gerson Goncalves, the man who provided the spark for Angola with back-to-back treys in the second period, also keyed his team’s breakaway in the fourth period that allowed the 11-time African champion to gain firm control. Angola broke into the win column in Group A after pushing Italy to the limit in the opener. This time, the Angolans brought in a more aggressive approach on the defensive end and made things more difficult for the Filipinos. Angola survived a last-ditch rally put up by the Filipinos, who unloaded 11 straight points and came to within 68-73 with 1:12 remaining. But Gerson Domingo’s dagger three-point basket in the 47-second mark, quelled the rally, allowing Angola to escape with the win. With the loss, Gilas found themselves in a must-win situation against Italy on Tuesday at 8 p.m. Gilas had a promising start as they dictated the tempo early. By the end of the first period, Gilas were already able to rotate 10 players and took a 19-12 lead. In the second period, head coach Chot Reyes allowed young big men Kai Sotto and AJ Edu to play at the same time. The two were teammates during the Batang Gilas days four years ago and are now embracing a more challenging role in the men’s level. A Roger Pogoy basket gave Gilas their first sizable lead, 28-17, but an 11-0 run capped by back-to-back three-point baskets Goncalves allowed the Angolans to gain momentum. The post FIBA: Angola blasts Gilas appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»