Dwight Ramos leads Gilas Pilipinas previous Taiwan Mustangs in a tune-up sport forward of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Match for the Paris Video games. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.internet
MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas rolled previous Taiwan Mustangs on Monday night time, 74-64, kicking off its build-up for the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Match on a optimistic observe.
Dwight Ramos had 19 factors to steer the Nationals who’re priming for the brief meet that can full the sphere within the Summer season Olympic Video games that might be held in Paris, France.
Justin Brownlee, recent from plying his commerce in Indonesia, delivered 12 factors and 15 rebounds in a wire-to-wire victory customary earlier than over 5,000 spectators at PhilSports Area in Pasig Metropolis.
READ: Gilas loses Scottie to previous harm, will fly with solely 11 males to Latvia
“Properly you recognize, we weren’t involved about successful or shedding a basketball sport, we wished to play a sure model. And I feel they did a very good job of throwing a number of bounce defenses at us,” Gilas coach Tim Cone mentioned shortly after the overcome a visiting crew led by former PBA gamers Alex Cabagnot and Rashawn McCarthy.
“However we labored arduous on the defensive facet,” he went on. “We obtained a number of work to do however we’ve time. We obtained a number of work to do forward of us … We’ll simply proceed to get higher and higher as we transfer ahead,” he went on.
Gilas will now set its sights on a pair of friendlies in Europe. The Filipinos fly to Turkey on Tuesday night time the place they may tackle the host nationwide staff then play Poland earlier than plunging into motion within the OQT in Riga the place World No. 6 and host Latvia and No. 23 Georgia await.
Kai Sotto had 9 factors and 9 rebounds, June Mar Fajardo chipped in eight factors, whereas Carl Tamayo and skipper Japeth Aguilar mixed for 13 within the scoring effort.
READ: Gilas performs tuneup matches earlier than OQT
Gilas caught with simply 11 gamers as Roger Pogoy, a former nationwide staff gunner, joined the gang as a spectator. He was with the staff in its brief closed-door camp at Encourage Sports activities Academy in Laguna a couple of days in the past.
Cone mentioned he might be sticking with that roster quantity with Fajardo lastly activated and Amos finishing the solid as a substitute.
Jamie Malonzo, AJ Edu and Scottie Thompson are all sidelined by harm.
“It’s not that we are able to’t discover a substitute for him, it’s simply that we’re lacking him. No one—anyone we’d get isn’t gonna change Scottie. That’s only a truth of life. However we don’t really feel shorthanded. We talked to the 11 guys. They’re 11 robust,” Cone mentioned.
Oscar Lopez, who served the Cambodian nationwide staff throughout the Southeast Asian Video games prior to now, had 15 factors, Cabagnot tossed in 13, whereas McCarthy 12 for the Mustangs who had been coached by former Rain or Shine coach Chris Gavina.
