MUCH maligned from the moment he was called up, Kib Montalbo fought for every second he saw action in his debut for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Kib Montalbo makes solid Gilas debut
And after the Philippines' 88-64 triumph over India on Friday, the TNT guard indeed proved that he belongs in this stage.
Montalbo was certainly one of the bright spots for Gilas as he balled out in his 15 minutes and 30 seconds of action and gave quality minutes off the bench as he finished with eight points, three rebounds, and one steal.
Yet this performance hardly surprised coach Chot Reyes who was proven right in his decision to include Montalbo in his 15-man pool.
"Very, very happy for Kib, but honestly not surprised because that's the type of player he is," he said.
"He knows his role. He comes in off the bench hounding the opposing ball handler."
Montalbo was a game-changer for Gilas as he helped in shaking off that listless start and anchored the 22-8 third quarter pullaway capped off with a booming three from distance to make it a commanding 68-47 advantage.
But it's this facet of Montalbo's game that delights Reyes as the former La Salle standout added the three-point arsenal in his weaponry to compliment his relentless on-ball defense.
"The good thing with Kib is that he has rounded off his game now. You just cannot keep him open, and credit to his teammates they just gave they trusted him and they found him in open spots and Kib simply delivered and did what he normally does," he said.
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