Gilas Pilipinas members rejoice with their gold medals after defeating Jordan of their males’s basketball gold medal on the nineteenth Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. REUTERS/Marko Djurica
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone requested for yet one more nice effort from his gamers within the nineteenth Asian Video games. On Friday evening, he acquired a efficiency that shall be talked about for ages.
The Philippines rolled previous Jordan, 70-60, to rule the lads’s basketball showcase at Hangzhou Olympic Centre Gymnasium in China and ship the nation’s first Asian Video games gold in over half a century.
Justin Brownlee was huge as soon as once more, scattering 20 factors for Gilas Pilipinas. Ange Kouame added 14, Chris Newsome had 13 and Scottie Thompson 11 within the effort that avenged a beatdown by the hands of the Falcons final weekend.
“Our guys have been simply actually disciplined tonight,” Cone advised reporters within the din of the revelries. “It was only a good sport by us tonight and so they (Jordan) had an off taking pictures evening.”
It was that preliminary spherical loss that pressured Gilas Pilipinas to play an additional sport within the match. However wanting again, the lengthy route afforded Cone and the squad simply precisely what it wanted for a no-tomorrow duel for the highest prize.
Gilas Pilipinas gamers carry their head coach Tim Cone following their win over Jordan within the males’s basketball gold medal match on the nineteenth Asian Video games in Hangzhou, China, Friday, Oct. 6, 2023. (AP Photograph/Lee Jin-man)
Gilas thrashed Qatar, survived Iran and shocked China to change into one cohesive squad worthy of taking down a well-oiled foe desirous to notch a milestone for itself.
That enchancment was in full view on Friday evening, because the Philippines managed to take pleasure in leads as huge as 13 factors.
“I feel we did job recovering (Sami) Bzai, not letting him get loads of appears to be like, and that was one of many keys,” Cone mentioned.
“I do know it’s no gold for Jordan. It could’ve been their first. Good for each of us,” he added with a smirk.
Either side began slowly in an error-riddled first quarter which the Philippines edged 17-12, however Jordan–searching for its first Asiad title–rallied to enter half-time stage at 31-31.
The momentum shifted again to the Philippines within the third quarter and so they took a 51-41 lead into the house stretch after which held their nerve for a well-known victory.
Via the win, the Philippines tabbed its fifth gold medal. The final got here in 1962 in Jakarta, Indonesia, courtesy of a squad led by the late Fiba Corridor of Famer Carlos Loyzaga.
The Nationals’ final podium end—a bronze medal—was again in 1998, when Cone additionally known as the photographs.
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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson had 24 factors, however with Freddy Ibrahim the one different Jordan participant scoring in double digits, the Falcons needed to accept a silver—a feat by itself when ranged towards the nation’s measly 5 appearances within the quadrennial showpiece. –with stories from Agence France-Presse
