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    Gilas' improved defense vs Jordan a sign of growth, says Chot

    Chot Reyes admires improved Gilas defense vs Jordan
    Nov 11, 2022
    chot reyes
    PHOTO: fiba.basketball

    GILAS Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes couldn't be any more pleased with Gilas Pilipinas' defense on the heels of its 74-66 victory over Jordan in the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers on Friday (Manila time).

    Coming out refocused after an extended halftime talk, the Philippines buckled down on defense and made life hard for the hosts, as seen in Jordan's 10-point third quarter that proved to be a precursor for things to come.

    "Obviously we're very happy with the result, and for the game, we really focused on our defense, being able to stop their main players," he said.

    [READ: Gilas back in winning form vs Jordan in qualifier]

    Although naturalized Dar Tucker still finished with 23 points, 14 of those came in the first half as Gilas defenders led by Dwight Ramos and Jamie Malonzo hounded him for the entirety of the last two frames and made sure that he bled for every basket afterwards.

    Ahmad Al Dwairi, who was having his way in the paint in the first half, was also checked after the break as he committed 10 of Jordan's 21 turnovers to negate his 18-point, 16-rebound night.

    Other players of interest, among them Freddy Ibrahim and Sami Bzai, failed to make major contributions much to the chagrin of the fans who packed the Prince Hamza Hall in Amman.

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      For Reyes, the win was a testament to how the team is coming together as a unit and how improved their defense has been compared in the past windows.

      "I think the result - we were able to hold them below 70 points, so I think that speaks well of our ability to defend," he said.

      Still, Gilas played this game with the utmost respect towards the Falcons, the fourth place team in the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup in Indonesia.

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      Reyes knew better that the Philippines couldn't be overconfident despite the team's familiarity with Jordan's main proponents.

      "We knew it was going to be a tough game. We have very high respect for the Jordan basketball team and we've played them so many times already in the past," he said. "But again, our defense carried us to the victory."

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      PHOTO: fiba.basketball
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