(https://i.imgur.com/ZzGp6v0.png)(https://i.imgur.com/I8WWOgh.png)The Philippines didn't get here by chance. The punched and counter-punched their way into the second round, getting up after being knocked down akin to Manny Pacquiao's moxie in the boxing ring. Although they lost to regional powerhouse China last week, the overarching theme of this season's campaign is that of grit and perseverance. An 18-point loss isn't going to take away anything from the Filipinos, not their confidence, not their pride, in fact, they had more than enough in the tank today even as their more experienced counterpart delivered the hard lessons post 79-61 defeat.
In hindsight, both teams took the same number of attempts but a well-organized Australian offense is not to be trifled with as their opponents have learned today. Their ten dunks made it seem like an all-star game but it highlighted a particular area where the Philippines was most often languid this game.
JosΓ© Frink had five of the unguarded freebies as opposed to just one made fadeaway in five attempts over Filipino center,
Fitz Rojo. The Filipinos can undoubtedly defend when called upon. When you hold the Aussies to
25% shooting in contested shots, you're doing something right, the only drawback is that they could also shut you down on the other end.
Still the Philippines were within earshot, down by eight at the buzzer to start the final quarter. But as soon as they trim the lead to single digits the glaring defensive lapses ensued. Seemingly running out of gas due to poor conditioning and a noticeable lack of effort, this opened the door for the Aussies to cruise to a 10-21 burst with five minutes remaining to fend off another furious comeback by the Filipinos.
Cadeo NgΓ΄ tormented his match-up on defense particularly shadowing
Victor Gotardo around the court, thirteen of his shots were taken with NgΓ΄ in proximity, making it an exhausting cat versus mouse night for the young Filipino guard.
Benedict Lagare was not as unlucky with his match-up. He signed his stat sheet with 14 points, seven rebounds, five assists and two notable defensive stops including a block and a steal. He was able to hang tough on defense, giving up only 2 points against four different players.
Their next big test is against Hong Kong which will at least give this squad time to assess how far they have grown and how much further they have to go. For most of them, this is their baptism of fire, their rite of passage and it starts today.
Scores:Australia
NguyΓͺn 20, Fink 14, Gibbins 12, Rose 10, NgΓ΄ 6, Bort 6, Ellard 4, Hongjing 3, MacBride 2, San 2, Rucker DNP-CD Omu DNP-CD
Philippines
Gotardo 17, Lagare 14, Montemayor 11, Macalinag 8, Salinas 6, Rojo 2, Rios 2, Flandez 1, Gayoles 0, Catolico 0, Guardia DNP-CD
Quarters:11-19; 28-40; 43-51; 61-79
Last edited by Pro_Shot π΅π at 6/13/2018 4:06:53 PM