Filipinos take another big Korean manhandling

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during a game against Iran in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers at Mall of Asia Arena.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Gilas Pilipinas ended the two-game exhibition series against South Korea with perhaps its first real taste of adversity going into the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games.

For the second straight game, Gilas was battered by the host squad after another awful first quarter, bad offense and defensive woes that translated into a 69-42 defeat in the city of Suwon.

That left fans back home who saw the contest through third-party streaming wondering if Gilas, which also lost to the same team by 26 on Friday, stands a good chance of defending the gold it won three years ago with a team made up of 11 PBA stars and the status of Justin Brownlee still uncertain.

The only hope coach Tim Cone has is that the series can help the team get used to what would be a gargantuan task in Japan.

“This is like a dress rehearsal for us,” Cone said before the two games against South Korea. “It gives the guys an opportunity to see what the coaching staff’s telling about in terms of prepping, how to prep, how much video to watch, what the practices are like, and that’s what these two games are about.

“So when we get to the Asian Games, I think they’ll be more comfortable in the way the process goes about,” Cone went on. “And it will be more fluid come the Asian Games.”

Being fluid is among the things Gilas would need to be, especially after Sunday’s return match that saw South Korea running away after Sedrick Barefield opened the game with the first basket, a jumper.

From there, Gilas couldn’t get itself going, with an offense that made just 26 percent of its shots, including a 3-of-25 clip from three-point range, while also committing 16 turnovers.

On the defensive end, Gilas once again couldn’t solve South Korea’s trademark outside shooting, giving up 10 triples while also allowing 15 fastbreak points.

Zavier Lucero finished the contest as Gilas’ only double-digit scorer with 14 points on top of six rebounds and three assists. He once again played 30 minutes, and it could be a clear indication of how he’ll be used in Japan.

Adrian Nocum is likely to also get heavy minutes. He had nine points and kept going for baskets.

Robert Bolick, who should be Gilas’ main offensive source, struggled anew with just two points on 1-of-7 shooting, Barefield scored seven but was 2-of-8.

Justine Baltazar was held scoreless, though he grabbed 10 rebounds while Justin Arana twirled his ankle in the second quarter, and Gilas hopes that it won’t be an ominous sign for the Asiad. INQ