The Asian Games‑bound Gilas Pilipinas squad absorbed a humbling 81‑55 defeat to South Korea on Friday evening at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena. It was the first of two tune‑up games between the Filipinos and South Koreans as they prepare for the quadrennial showcase in Nagoya, which tips off next week.
South Korea raced out to a 13‑4 lead to start the game and never looked back, taking the first quarter, 24‑18, before heading into halftime with a 45‑33 advantage. The hosts figured in a defensive battle with the Filipinos in the third but still came out on top, 12‑11, to take a 57‑44 cushion into the final frame. Then the floodgates opened as the South Koreans ended with a flurry, outscoring Gilas, 24‑11, in the fourth to punctuate a dominant showing.
Lee Jung‑hyun of the KBL’s Goyang Sono Skygunners led all scorers with 27 points on 7‑for‑11 shooting from deep. Lee Weon‑seok added 10, Yeo Jun‑seok and Moon Yu‑hyeon chipped in 8, and three others had at least 6. Justine Baltazar topscored for Gilas with 15 points and 10 boards, while Adrian Nocum tallied 10 points and 4 boards. Brandon Ganuelas‑Rosser put up 7 markers.
Not Time to Panic, But Concerns Are Aplenty
The knee‑jerk reaction to such a lopsided loss is to press the panic button immediately. In this case, that seems premature, especially since the game was a mere tune‑up—and was between a newly formed squad versus a team that has been playing together far longer. That being said, there are obvious concerns that need to be addressed if Gilas is to defend its 5×5 gold in Nagoya.
The lack of chemistry is particularly telling, which shouldn’t be a surprise. This team was formed only recently and hadn’t played a single game together until Friday. The unfamiliarity showed, both on offense and defense, as the players looked lost—either overpassing or executing poorly on offense, and missing rotations and defensive assignments on defense.
Gilas’ undersized frontline looked exposed, too. South Korea, whose tallest player is 6‑foot‑9 Jang Jae‑seok, outrebounded the Philippines, 49‑41, with 6‑foot‑7 NBA prospect Lee Hyun‑jung alone corralling 15. Yes, Baltazar played a solid game, but the Gilas frontcourt as a whole mostly struggled against their slightly taller counterparts. If this frontline can’t handle the Koreans, it might have serious problems against much bigger opposition, like China and Jordan.
Shooting—or lack thereof—appears to be a cause for concern as well, with Gilas finishing at a ghastly 28% clip overall and 19% from the arc (5‑for‑27). That shooting split isn’t encouraging for a team that supposedly boasts some of the PBA’s best gunners in Robert Bolick (1‑for‑4), Don Trollano (1‑for‑4), RJ Abarrientos (0‑for‑2), Sedrick Barefield (1‑for‑4), and Jerrick Ahanmisi (1‑for‑3). This kind of firepower is certainly capable of shooting better, but it will have to do so consistently if the national team is to contend for a podium in Japan—much less the gold.
Gilas Tries Again
Gilas Pilipinas will look to get payback on the South Koreans on Sunday in their second tune‑up, which will also be played in the same venue.
The Philippines’ title defense officially starts on September 11 against Bahrain, followed by Kazakhstan on September 12, and then China on September 14. The Philippines, Kazakhstan, China, and Bahrain make up Group C. The other teams are Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia, and Indonesia in Group A, while Iran, Jordan, Chinese Taipei, and Qatar comprise Group B.
