HANGZHOU - Team Philippines got its most treasured gold on Friday night in the 19th Asian Games.
Gilas Pilipinas gifted basketball-loving Filipinos with the gold medal that mattered most, getting back at Jordan in the men's basketball finals, 70-60, to finally reclaim the Asiad championship after 61 long years.
"Six decades," coach Tim Cone shouted in the din of the Gilas celebration on his way to the team dugout where a bigger, rowdier party awaited him.
Justin Brownlee led from the front once again and got key support from Ange Kouame and Chris Newsome as Gilas avenged an 87-62 defeat to Jordan in the group stage - its only loss in the entire tournament.
But it was a different story in the grudge match as Gilas opened an early 13-point lead and, after Jordan came alive to tie it at 31-all at halftime, steadily created separation while keeping Jordan Rondae Hollis Jefferson from going crazy.
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"We caught them on an off-shooting night," said Cone of the Jordanians, who were held to just 26 percent shooting overall (18-of-69).
Brownlee again led Gilas with 20 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, Ange Kouame also had a double-double of 14 points and 11 boards to go with five steals and two blocks off the bench, and Chris Newsome had his best game of the tournament with 13 points, while having the daunting task of taking on Hollis-Jefferson on defense.
The 28-year-old Hollis-Jefferson, a former NBA player and import of TNT in the PBA, finished with 24 points, 12 rebounds, and five assists for Jordan.
The country's fourth gold medal in this conclave turned out to be the most unexpected one, coming from a team that was assembled less than three weeks before the Asiad and in the aftermath of head coach Chot Reyes' resignation.
Gilas also won the cherished gold in the presence of Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann, whose late father, Kurt Bachmann, was a member of the last national men's team that won the Asiad gold in 1962 in Jakarta, Indonesia.
"My father, who was a part of the team that last won the gold at the 1962 Asian Games in Jakarta, would be very proud of this Gilas squad, who showed resillience and team spirit," said the PSC chief in a statement.
"Witnessing our Gilas Pilipinas take back the Asian basketball throne was one of the monumental victories for Team Philippines here in Hangzhou -- our fourth gold medal as of date."
The scores:
Philippines (70) – Brownlee 20, Kouame 14, Newsome 13, Thompson 11, Oftana 5, Aguilar 3, Alas 2, Perez 2.
Jordan (60) – Hollis-Jefferson 24, Mustafa 13, Al Dwairi 8, Alhamarsheh 6, Bohannon 4, Bzai 3, Hussein 2.
Quarterscores: 17-12; 31-31; 51-41; 70-60.
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