BOCAUE – Two quick fouls and big games from June Mar Fajardo and AJ Edu in the middle left the Gilas Pilipinas coaching staff no choice but to sit Kai Sotto for almost the entire game against the Dominican Republic.
Coach Chot Reyes explained those two factors weighed in his decision to play the 7-foot-3 Sotto for a total of 73 seconds in the 87-81 loss to the Karl-Anthony Town and the Dominican Republic in their 2023 Fiba World Cup debut.
READ: Gilas' brave stand vs Dominican Republic falls short
Sotto had a single block and was 0-for-1 from the field, getting his second foul while giving up a three-point play to Towns.
“Kai picked up two quick fouls so we have to get him out of the game right away,” said Reyes of the 21-year-old big man who had a tough match-up in the 6-foot-11 Towns, the former NBA Rookie of the Year and No. 1 overall draft pick of the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Edu, playing in his rookie season with the men’s national team, also made the decision easy for Reyes as he teamed up with the 33-year-old Fajardo inside the paint.
The 6-foot-10 Edu finished with seven points on 3-for-3 shooting while Fajardo was a perfect 5-of-5 from the field for 16 points and seven rebounds.
“He (Edu) was playing really well. And if we get him (Kai) in, the other one I have to sit is a guy named June Mar Fajardo,” said Reyes.
“I’m sure a lot of people are going to wonder why, but between sitting AJ and June Mar, there was just no opportunity. And the match-up just didn’t favor Kai.”
The Gilas coach though, assured Sotto will get more playing time in the team’s succeeding games in the group phase against Angola and Italy.
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