Gilas Pilipinas needs to be a sharper team.
National coach Tim Cone said this after his wards beat Jordan, 75-61, in their their friendly match early Sunday at the Al Ahli Sports Club in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t’ think we’re there yet, but I think these games will go a long way in helping us where we want to get to,” said Cone.
The Filipinos showcased a disciplined and cohesive effort throughout the contest, building an 11-point lead by halftime (40-29) and expertly managing Jordan’s attempts to mount a comeback.
Timely three-pointers in the payoff period from Scottie Thompson, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, and Kevin Quiambao proved instrumental in keeping the Falcons at bay.
Oftana’s return to action after sitting out the previous friendly against the Macau Black Bears was a welcome sight, signaling his readiness for the upcoming Asia Cup.
This victory over world No. 35 Jordan marks the second consecutive win for Gilas in their recent friendly matches, following a hard-fought 103-98 comeback triumph against the Macau Black Bears last Monday.
The encounter with Jordan was the first between the two teams since their gold-medal game in the 19th Hangzhou Asian Games.
Seven players from Gilas’ Asiad lineup are still around, namely June Mar Fajardo, Thompson, Oftana, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, and naturalized player Justin Brownlee.
TNT champion import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson did not play for Jordan.
“I’m just looking for a measurement of where we are in terms of preparedness,” Cone told the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. “I think that is really the key, just seeing how prepared we are.”
Cone emphasized that while winning is always a positive, the focus was more on the quality of their play and execution rather than merely the scoreline.
“We were really looking at just the quality of our play, the quality of our execution, allowing the guys to make basketball plays and playing the heck out of the defense,” he added.
The national team now has a few more days to fine-tune their plays before plunging into their FIBA Asia Cup campaign.
Gilas Pilipinas is set to open its Group D schedule against Chinese Taipei on Wednesday, August 6th (2 AM Manila time), followed by encounters with New Zealand on Thursday, August 7th (11 PM), and Iraq on Saturday, August 9th (4 PM).
