MEMBERS of the Gilas Pilipinas Asian Games squad played down its tune-up game win over their counterparts preparing for FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
The two Gilas Pilipinas teams had two intra-squad tune-up game, with the Asiad squad winning the first outing on August 24, creating an impression of how good the squad indeed was.
But a few members of the Asian Games squad dismissed the win, mainly because it was merely a tune-up game, and was not a reasonable basis of the quality of both teams.
READ: Lesson from 2014 letdown convinced Gilas to field fresher team to Asiad
“Siyempre iba pa rin naman pag ‘yung mismong game,” Adrian Nocum said.
“Relax lang sila nun kaya nanalo nung first tune-up,” said Justin Arana, who later became part of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers team after Carl Tamayo got injured.
The Gilas FIBA team later showed their true form when they beat the Asian Games squad the following day.
“Pero nung second tune-up, talo na kami. Talagang hindi na nila kami pinagbigyan,” Arana said.
But Nocum and Arana said that the tune-up games benefited both squads in gauging where they are in their preparations.
The FIBA team led by Kai Sotto eventually swept the fourth window, beating Jordan and Iran in two tough games, boosting its chances of making it to the World Cup.
“Sabi nga ni coach, malaking tulong din ‘yung nagkalaban, naglaban kami kasi nga mabibilis ‘yung sa Asian (Games) team. Malaking tulong din sa kanila ‘yung ganung tune-up and sa amin lalo na may laro na kami sa September 11,” Nocum said.
That September 11 game will be against Bahrain to open their Group C assignment where Gilas Pilipinas also has Kazakhstan and China on the schedule.
Arana said by playing the FIBA team, it meant that the Gilas Pilipinas Asiad squad had a lot of time to make adjustments in their title defense.
“Maganda lang talaga na mahaba ‘yung preparation din namin kahit papano… Tignan natin kung anong maitutulong,” said Arana.
After the tune-up games against the Gilas FIBA team, the Philippines battles Korea twice in a friendly series in Suwon before going to Aichi-Nagoya for the Asiad.
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