Ange Kouame and Gilas Pilipinas roll previous Bahrain to start their Asiad stint. —POOL PHOTO
No matter worries nationwide coach Tim Cone had for Gilas Pilipinas of their opening sport within the nineteenth Asian Video games in China turned out to be baseless on Tuesday.
The Philippines performed with sustained brilliance and located little or no resistance in its 89-61 thrashing of Bahrain at Hangzhou Olympic Sports activities Middle Gymnasium for a rousing begin within the continental showcase.
Justin Brownlee had 20 factors, 10 rebounds and three steals—hardly exhibiting any sick results of the ankle process that stored within the freezer for a couple of month, whereas CJ Perez and Ange Kouame tossed in 15 factors every off the bench within the runaway victory over an enemy the Gilas mind belief initially thought was going to problem them.
The Nationals loved leads as large as 34 factors permitting Cone to offer his late additions Perez, Kevin Alas, Arvin Tolentino, Chris Ross and Marcio Lassiter ample time to stand up to hurry.
“That was essential for us to get that further time,” the seasoned mentor stated. “The 5 guys are nonetheless feeling their method round, and once more, these are the blokes who we’re going to rely on as they determine how far we go.
”Lassiter, who added eight factors within the contest, was a substitute for Roger Pogoy who withdrew as a result of well being points. Perez and the opposite three Philippine Basketball Affiliation standouts had been contingency measures for unique call-ups Terrence Romeo, Mo Tautuaa, Calvin Abueva and Jason Perkins whose eligibilities had been flagged by the native organizing committee.
Calvin Oftana completed with 14 factors for Gilas, which was later joined on high of Group C by Jordan following a 97-63 conquer Thailand, the Philippines’ subsequent foe within the event.
Girls get going
“We all know [them] fairly very well,” Cone, in a earlier interview, stated of the Thais. “We all know [Moses] Morgan, we all know [Tyler] Lamb, we all know [Fred] Lish. So we all know these guys.”
Gilas noticed Thailand from afar in the course of the Southeast Asian Video games in Cambodia.
As the lads’s workforce takes purpose at a brand new foe, the ladies’s squad is hoping it could possibly be simply as spectacular in its Asian Video games debut.
The Gilas squad bannered by Jack Danielle Animam, will battle a tall Kazakhstan aspect on Wednesday, 5:30 p.m. at Shaoxing Olympic Sports activities Centre Gymnasium, hardened by the numerous worldwide tournaments they’ve been by way of.
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“Top has all the time been our drawback, however I believe now we have benefits we are able to use towards them (the Kazakhs),” Animam informed the Inquirer on the eve of the match. “I’m excited to play, particularly this being our first ever Asian Video games, however you realize we’ve been taking part in in a lot greater degree of competitors. It might be solely our first look, however this sense [we have] will not be our first,” she went on, alluding to the numerous Fiba (Worldwide Basketball Federation) and up to date Jones Cup stints. INQ