Gilas Pilipinas far from satisfied after close loss to Turkey

THOUGH it put on a gallant stand in its first tune-up game in Europe, Gilas Pilipinas is far from satisfied with the result as they came in to the Turkey contest with the intent to win.

Gilas team manager Richard Del Rosario said the 84-73 loss to the home team on Friday in Istanbul just means there is still work to do in their preparation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament next week.

“It was a tough loss against Turkey. We had our first taste of the type of opposition we will be facing in the OQT,” said Del Rosario.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas loses to Turkey in well-fought Istanbul friendly

Del Rosario said a win would have been an even bigger boost since the room for error in the OQT is slim to none when they face Latvia and Georgia in the group stage.

As he put it, “While others may see it as a satisfying first game, our team mindset is almost is not enough. We only have one shot at make it to the Olympics and we cannot be satisfied with almost winning.”

Silver lining for Gilas

One of the possible talking points for the coaching staff led by Tim Cone is how Gilas conceded 14 threes in the contest with Tarik Biberovic – who plays with Fenerbahce in the Turkish league and was drafted No. 56 by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2023 NBA Draft – making five to finish with 23 points.

At the same time, though, the national team is also looking at the silver lining after it went toe-to-toe against a team ranked No. 24 in the world, meaning beating teams such as Latvia and Georgia could be achievable with more preparation.

PHOTO: Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas

Gilas is now headed to Poland to face the nation’s basketball team in their final friendly before the OQT in Valencia, Spain. Poland is ranked No. 15 in the world and is also vying for a slot in the Paris Olympics.

“We move on to the next game with a firmer belief that we can hold our own against higher ranked teams with a real chance of reaching our mission of making it to Paris,” said Del Rosario.

Justin Brownlee finished with 21 points, while June Mar Fajardo had 17 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Turkey, making sure Gilas was within striking distance before the home team pulled away late.

Before leaving for Europe, the Philippines defeated the Taiwan Mustangs, 74-64, last Monday at the Philsports Arena in its first tune-up game ahead of the OQT.

Gilas will be competing with just 11 players in the OQT after Scottie Thompson was ruled out due to a bulging disc he has been dealing with since the PBA wars.

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