Team redeemed as Gilas Pilipinas reclaims gold, puts heavily reinforced Cambodia in its place
VICTORY RIDE Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes will get a victory journey because the Philippines defeats host Cambodia to win the lads’s basketball gold on the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games in Phnom Penh on Tuesday. —REUTERS
All that unnecessary sideline antics, that flexing with the Stephen Curry “night time, night time” gesture, that late day trip with the sport out of attain—every part. A Gilas Pilipinas squad hungry for redemption took all that and had an opportunity to shove them down the throat of a rival coach.
“It will have been good to name a timeout ultimately, proper?” nationwide coach Chot Reyes stated after the Philippines whipped Cambodia, 80-69, to reclaim the basketball gold medal within the thirty second Southeast Asian Video games on Tuesday night time right here in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
“But when they’re classless, we aren’t. We at all times talked about enjoying the sport the fitting manner,” added Reyes.
In addition to, this wasn’t about payback. This was about redemption. A 12 months in the past, the nationwide staff suffered what as soon as was considered an unbelievable setback—dropping the title the nation held for greater than three many years and winding up with a silver behind Indonesia.
That put Gilas Pilipinas and the oft-criticized Reyes beneath intense scrutiny. The staff flew right here with the intention of retaking the gold. However in simply their second sport right here, the Filipinos ran right into a Cambodia squad bolstered by six People, a results of relaxed eligibility guidelines enforced—and brought benefit of—by the host nation.
Footnote
The Philippines misplaced that one, 79-68. And Cambodia coach Harry Savaya made positive the Filipinos knew, flashing the “night time night time” gesture at Gilas after which calling a late timeout that drew the ire of the staff.
“The sport we misplaced to Cambodia was one other studying expertise for us and we needed to come out and be taught from our errors,” stated veteran shooter Marcio Lassiter. “It was a problem as a result of the opposite staff had 5, six imports. I simply love the fellows now we have. We have been all for one, we performed collectively and we simply confirmed the true that means of ‘puso’ (coronary heart).”
On Tuesday, that coronary heart diminished the host squad to a silver footnote, a examine on find out how to proceed with eligibility guidelines in future SEA Video games competitions.
And the Philippines? King of the area once more.
“We did it. We did it,” Reyes stated. “I don’t know if there’s the rest to say.”
“We simply tried to maintain preventing. It feels nice to get the win,” stated Justin Brownlee, the naturalized ahead who completed with 23 factors and 7 rebounds.
![Chot Reyes on Cambodia coach’s antics: [I]f they’re classless, we aren’t. We always talked about playing the game the right way. —PSC PHOTO](https://i0.wp.com/sports.inquirer.net/files/2023/05/Sports472802-620x514.jpg?resize=620%2C514&ssl=1)
Chot Reyes on Cambodia coach’s antics: [I]f they’re classless, we aren’t. We at all times talked about enjoying the sport the fitting manner. —PSC PHOTO
“I positively wasn’t happy with an excellent efficiency or wanting good myself. The staff’s success is my success,” Brownlee added. “When that clock hit zero, I felt essentially the most proud as I might really feel, similar to [winning] a championship. And now, a gold medal. It’s an unbelievable feeling.”
Gilas constructed a 13-point lead at halftime after which withstood numerous fightbacks from the hosts to shut the sport.
“We simply stored our focus. Right here we’re. The gamers did a hell of a job. They caught collectively. We stored this staff of what, 5, six imports to under 70 factors. That was nice protection, man,” Reyes stated.
“Ultimately, it was our protection that introduced us to this gold medal.”
‘For the Filipino individuals’
TAKE YOUR SILVER Cambodia coach Harry Savaya drew the ire of Gilas Pilipinas for his late-game antics in the course of the two groups’ first assembly. —AFP
It was additionally the will of the staff to show itself to critics that fueled the title run.
“The doubters of Gilas, we have been impressed by them,” stated guard CJ Perez. “We have been motivated to play for the Filipino individuals, for many who supported us and those that didn’t.”
The Cambodians got here to inside 5 within the fourth quarter, however with Savaya enjoying a brief rotation all match lengthy, his principal males ended up spent.
Brandon Peterson had 18 factors, Darrin Dorsey 17, whereas Sayeed Pridgett and Dwayne Morgan added 13 for Cambodia.
All that went for naught because the Philippines restored order in SEA Video games basketball.
“Nicely you realize, I got here right here, I envisioned this, visualized it. However I didn’t make it occur, it was the gamers who made it occur. It was their effort, their unwillingness to surrender [that all made it happen] ultimately,” Reyes stated.
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