GILAS Pilipinas will not only have to battle a Serbia roster laden with NBA players in their FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament match-up on Thursday morning.
The Filipinos will also have to deal with the hosts' so-called sixth man.
The Serbs will have a rabid home crowd cheering for them when they go for a two-game sweep of their Group A assignment opposite the Philippine national team at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall in Belgrade.
Sports fans in Serbia are now allowed to watch events in the stands but only at 30 percent capacity in venues.
Nonetheless, it’s another factor going against Gilas when it goes up against the Serbs’ talented lineup led by Dallas Mavericks big man Boban Marjanovic, Nemanja Bjelica of the Miami Heat, and Euroleague MVP Vasilije Micic.
The Serbs opened their campaign by whipping Dominican Republic, 94-76.
“Yes, allowed sila dito ng spectators, but not behind the team benches,” related Gilas Pilipinas compliance officer Yvette Ruiz from Serbia.
“Me areas sila na in-open.”
Gilas played minus the support of the home crowd when it completed a three-game sweep of its campaign in the recent FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers inside the Clark bubble.
The Sebia game will be the first time in a long while the Filipinos will be playing in front of fans, more so a hostile crowd at that.
But lead deputy Jong Uichico said dealing with the crowd is part and parcel of having to play in major international tournament.
“Dapat masanay na sila. Part yan ng learning experience of playing internationally,” he said.
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