Reyes not yet happy with Phil. Team performance in Fiba-Asia
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 03 Aug 2013
MANILA (PNA) ? The Philippines played its best game against title contender Jordan Friday night, 77-71, but still failed to make head coach Chot Reyes happy in Day 2 of the FIBA-Asia world championship qualifying tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena.
?No, I?m not yet happy,? Reyes blurted out during the traditional post-game press conference at the media room to the surprise of the journalists, including the local brat boys, who must have thought the Filipinos had finally reached their competitive form in their quest for a third place finish in the 15-team conclave.
?I will only be happy on August 11,? Reyes added, obviously in reference to the day of the final when he hopes the Nationals, called Gilas, would be standing on the victory podium raising the championship trophy.
Reyes though admitted the Nationals, who cruised to their second straight victory following their 78-66 drubbing of Saudi Arabia Thursday, were far better off than the previous night when they huff-and-puff to nail the victory over the fighting Arabs.
?We played better though tonight,? Reyes said even as he attributed part of the win to the home crowd who almost filled the three-year-old venue as they continuously cheered their countrymen.
?We?re improving, but there?s still a lot of rooms for improvement,? he said. ?The crowd gave us a big lift tonight,?
Host Philippines, which formalized its entry to the next round with the triumph, was to meet arch-enemy Chinese-Taipei last night in a game that would have determined which team tops Group A of the four-group first phase of elimination round.
Sweet-shooting Jeff Chan and the hustling Jason Castro, who exemplified the improvement described by Reyes, agreed with their coach on the crowd?s inspiring them to play better.
?Malaking tulong ang crowd. Na-inspire talaga kami ats nabigyan kami ng lots of energy,? Chan, who top scored for the host county with 16 points, said.
?Yeah, malaking bagay talaga ang crowd,? echoed Castro, who added 16 points besides hauling down four rebounds three assists and a steal.
?Medyo relax kami noong first half, pero nong mag-order si coach ng run-and-gun game namin doon na kami nagsimulang mag-rally hanggang sa makahabol at lumamang,? Castro added.
The Filipinos looked to meet their match in the Jordanians as they trailed by as many as 11 points twice, the last at 9-20, in the first quarter. A 7-0 attack by the Filipinos, highlighted by Chan?s first three shooting from the arch cut that deficit 16-20 at the end of the first 10 minutes.
Chan was unerring with a string of three from the three-point zone as he combined with naturalized player Marcus Douthit, Ranidel de Ocampo and Castro in the second cutting Jordan?s lead to 38-33 at the break.
A dizzying 18-9 third quarter blast, highlighted by a triple each by Chan, De Ocampo and Castro saw the hosts running away for good, 53-42, which they bloated to a 14-point lead, 61-47, barely a minute gone in the final period.
Jordan coach Alexandris Evangelos blamed his boys? inconsistency from the free throw line and Gabe Norwood?s tight defense on American import Jimmy Baxter as to have done him in.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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