Gilas Pilipinas lost a heartbreaker to New Zealand on Friday, dropping a close 106-102 defeat to the Tall Blacks in double OT at Spark Arena in Auckland to open the third window of their FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifers campaign. But even with the loss, the national team might have discovered something critically important to the program moving forward—that the young guys are all right.
The Philippines’ young talent was on full display on Friday, with Juan Gomez De Liaño, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and AJ Edu—all under 28 years old—carrying the fight against the Kiwis.
Quiambao fired eight straight to start the second quarter en route to scoring 23 big points for Gilas. Gomez De Liaño tied with KQ for game-high honors while also burying two heart-stopping treys—one at the end of regulation to send the game to the first OT and another down the stretch of the first overtime that gave Gilas Pilipinas a 93-91 lead with under 20 ticks left. Tamayo and Ramos tallied 18 and 17, respectively, while Edu held the fort in the paint against the bigger New Zealand frontcourt.
That Was the Vision, Says Tim Cone
It turns out Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone had envisioned this all along—Ramos and company taking the baton and leading the way. Friday’s close loss seemed to show the young guys are ready, and they’re ahead of schedule, according to the PBA’s winningest coach.
“That’s how you evolve a team, right? You try to win with your veterans, and you develop your young guys. Our young guys have been developing over the last year and a half, two years. Every time they’ve come into a window, they’ve gotten better,” Cone said in the postgame presser. “They have evolved along with the team. That was the vision from the very beginning when we put this team together—that they, at one point, would be the main guys.”
Young Talen With Big Roles for Gilas Pilipinas
JGDL and KQ certainly looked like main-man material against New Zealand as they repeatedly hit crucial shots down the stretch and in the two overtimes. Ramos and Tamayo had their moments, too, and were aggressive and decisive. Edu battled bigger men and gave a good account of himself. Crucially, Friday was the first time Gilas Pilipinas saw Gomez De Liaño, Quiambao, Ramos, and Tamayo all going off—together, and in the same game.
“It may be coming a little more quickly than we thought, but they are certainly stepping up and playing at a much higher level than they were when they were first on the team. We’re real proud of those young guys for continuing to improve,” Cone added.
Indeed, Juan Gomez De Liaño, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and AJ Edu put up a fight that every Filipino hoops fan can be proud of, albeit in a losing cause.
But these young guns have sent their message, and it is loud and clear—they are here. They are ready to take over.
