Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes through the Fiba World Cup classification sport in opposition to South Sudan. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
Chot Reyes has mentioned it earlier than. He’s saying it once more.
The Gilas Pilipinas head coach is sorry.
“I’ve [apologized to fans] quite a few instances. I’ve already mentioned I’m actually sorry that we weren’t in a position to ship and I take full accountability. I take full duty,” Reyes mentioned on Thursday after a heartbreaking 87-68 loss to South Sudan of their Fiba World Cup classification duel.
Followers have singled out Reyes as the principle reason behind the Philippines’ disappointing present within the World Cup and the champion coach admitted that the group failed to fulfill folks’s expectations.
“This was a time for us to win, to execute the training. It was imagined to occur method again. This was a time for us to win and execute and like I mentioned, we didn’t get the job executed,” he mentioned.
Compounding the loss was Japan’s 86-77 victory over Venezuela simply moments earlier than South Sudan wrapped up the win in opposition to the Filipinos.
That meant the Philippines was out of the operating for an outright Olympic berth.
Gilas Pilipinas was doomed by a gradual begin and what Reyes referred to as the group’s “worst sport” within the event.
“I don’t assume something a lot must be mentioned. We performed our worst sport when it counted essentially the most. That early burst by South Sudan…super fightback by the blokes, however we spent an excessive amount of vitality in making an attempt to claw again and didn’t have sufficient to complete it,” Reyes mentioned within the postgame press convention. “It’s unlucky that this was the time for us to shoot under 40% from the sector. Couldn’t make photographs, so I assume that’s the story.”
After trailing as many as 21 factors within the first half, Dwight Ramos and Jordan Clarkson sparked the Philippines to trim the deficit to simply 4, 60-56.
Kai Sotto capped that run with a spotlight dunk off a lob from AJ Edu with 7:28 left within the match.
Huge man connection on level for Gilas! 😮💨 #FIBAWC x #WinForPilipinas 🇵🇭 pic.twitter.com/UL7pfBwvye
— FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 🏆 (@FIBAWC) August 31, 2023
However South Sudan made the appropriate changes and stored the house group at bay to prevail of their classification match.
“Unlucky. We knew this was the sport we completely needed to win as a result of anyone would get the wins. That’s why I’m very, very disillusioned. I’m not shocked Japan received, that’s why I knew this was the sport we actually, completely needed to get. There goes our Olympic desires for now for this World Cup,” mentioned Reyes.
The 2-time World Cup coach admitted that the group’s morale is “very, very down” however he confused that they need to lick their wounds and put together for his or her remaining sport in opposition to China on Saturday on the Huge Dome.
Gilas Pilipinas huddles up throughout a sport in opposition to South Sudan within the Fiba World Cup classification. -MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.web
“Our job is to get everybody prepared now for the subsequent sport, and that has to start out with our mindset and our emotional hearts as effectively. We similar to to say that as tough and as disappointing the marketing campaign has been to this point, I’m nonetheless very happy with the trouble,” Reyes mentioned.
“The blokes put themselves on the road. Fought our greatest. Sadly, issues didn’t go our method. The one factor we are able to do now’s simply concentrate on the subsequent. There’s yet another sport to be performed. We’ll put together in addition to we are able to to once more put up a combat in opposition to China on Saturday.”
Reyes reportedly already apologized to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan after their underwhelming efficiency within the nation’s internet hosting of the World Cup.
Reyes mentioned he’s leaving his destiny as much as the SBP. However whatever the resolution of the federation, he believes that the long run is shiny for Gilas with AJ Edu, Kai Sotto, and Dwight Ramos forming a younger nationwide group core.
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