GILAS, NAKAPUWESTO NA SA FIBA WORLD CUP

PINADAPA ng Gilas Pilipinas ang Kazakhstan, 93-75, noong Linggo ng gabi sa laro na ginanap sa Republican Velodrome Saryarka sa Astana, Kazakhstan upang pormal na makuha ang puwesto sa FIBA Basketball WorldCup.

Pumutok ang naturalized player na si Andray Blatche pagkaraang kumolekta ng 41 points at nag-ambag ng 14 rebounds, 4 steals, at 2 blocks para tulungang makapasok sa FIBA World Cup ang Gilas Pilipinas.

Nagtapos ang Gilas Pilipinas na pang-apat sa GroupF na may 7-5 na kartada.

Natalo ang Lebanon kontra sa Korea, 84-72, upang makuha ang pag-apat na puwesto sa Group E ngunit pasok ang Gilas sa pamamagitan ng mas magandang kartada. “We are just glad it’sover. We were feeling the pressure prior to this game.

We really wanted to make the World Cup. Andray carried us on his shoulders in the first half. He was on fire,” saad ni Gilas Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao.

Tumulong din si Jayson Castro pagkaraang tumapos ng 15 points, habang nagambag ang five-time PBA Most Valuable Player na si June Mar Fajardo ng 9 points at 7 rebounds para sa Gilas Pilipinas.

“I was kinda worried that the rest of the guys were going to overrely on him. But second half, the rest of the guys stepped up. It was important that we were able to survive the foul trouble he was in.

Another big man June Mar Fajardo just took over when he was on the bench. That was a key situation for us. Jayson Castro made key three-point shots that put some distance between us and the Kazakh team.

We are just happy it’sover. We are glad we are making the World Cup,” ani Guiao.

Maaga pa lang ay kumamada na si Blatche pagkaraang umiskor ng 17 points sa first quarter ngunit hindi nagpadaig ang Kazakhstan nang ito ay dumikit sa 45-40 sa half time.

Lumayo ang Gilas Pilipinas sa third quarter matapos ng opensiba nila Castro at Fajardo para makalayo sa Kazakhstan.

“It was a very emotional game for us. We knew what’sat stake for us. It’s either we win or go home. I feel like we competed from the jump till the end. We had some minor speed bumps in the game.

But we stood to it,”wika ni Blatche. Ikinagalak naman ni Guiao ang nilaro ni Blatche sa kanyang pagbabalik sa Gilas matapos hindi maglaro para sa pambansang koponan noong huling dalawang window ng qualifiers.

“I think that’s one big factor. He just took over the game and that’s what he did for us. If it weren’t for Andray, we would have been behind by 15 points and it could have been very hard for us to come back,” saad ni Guiao.