Gilas Pilipinas didn’t get the result it wanted against New Zealand in their FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers second window opener. Now, the nationals turn their attention to possibly an even tougher foe in Australia, which dismantled the Filipino squad, 84-60, back in the FIBA Asia Cup last August.
Facing a team as talented as the Boomers isn’t a tantalizing prospect by any means, especially for a squad coming off a loss. But, believe it or not, that setback against the Tall Blacks did leave some reasons to be optimistic ahead of Gilas Pilipinas’ clash with Australia on Sunday, March 1, at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena.
There are actually four reasons:
1. Law of Averages
Against the Tall Blacks, Gilas Pilipinas shot a ghastly 32.5% from the field and an even more atrocious 18.9% from downtown. Surely, the nationals won’t be shooting that poorly a second straight game, right? Sure, Allan Caidic, Jimmy Alapag, and James Yap aren’t barging through the MOA Arena doors on Sunday, but this team has enough serviceable bucket-getters for a much better offensive showing—even if it’s against Australia.
2. Juan Gomez de Liaño
JGDL had a solid return to Gilas Pilipinas, firing 10 points off the bench and showing the ability to create his own shots. That playmaking should come in handy against Australia’s aggressive, in-your-face defense, which will surely test the Filipinos’ execution. At the very least, Tim Cone has another go-to guy to give the ball to when all else fails. And if his young PBA career is any indication, Gomez de Liaño would surely welcome this gargantuan challenge.
3. QMB-AJ Edu Duo
Quentin Millora-Brown and especially AJ Edu held the fort inside for Gilas Pilipinas, one at a time at first and then playing together in the last few minutes. Edu, in particular, stood out with his 5 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks. But an eye-opener was how well he and Millora-Brown played together in a two-big alignment in the fourth quarter, even hooking up on an exquisite high-low that resulted in Edu getting a jam. Of course, Edu and QMB playing together isn’t exactly ideal because of spacing issues and a lack of big-man depth, but it has to be comforting to know they can hold it down.
4. Australia Might Be Vulnerable
As already articulated in this space, Australia might not have sent its best lineup to this window. That Guam was even ahead, 27-26, after a Jericho Cruz basket at the halfway mark of the second quarter underscores how these Boomers might not be as fearsome as other iterations. For one, their heavy hitters—FIBA Asia Cup MVP Jaylin Galloway and ex-NBA players Xavier Cooks, Jack McVeigh, and Will Magnay—aren’t playing, and the team itself didn’t have the same long preparation as that of the FIBA Asia Cup squad that won gold. It doesn’t mean Australia isn’t formidable because it is; but maybe it isn’t as unbeatable as it seems.
Gilas Pilipinas and Australia will take the court on Sunday, March 1, at the MOA Arena. Tip-off is at 7:30 p.m.
