FOSHAN, China – CJ Perez expressed regret over his blunder late in the fourth quarter of Gilas Pilipinas’ 84-81 overtime loss to Angola in their final Group D assignment in the FIBA World Cup here.
Perez had a chance to win it for Gilas with 5.2 seconds left in regulation and the game even at 73-all, but appeared to be unaware of the clock and forced a hurried three as time expired.
Angola went on to keep Gilas winless after three games, the latter’s chances of securing a berth in either the Tokyo Olympics or the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in peril going into the classification matches in Beijing.
“It’s my decision,” Perez said inside the press conference room of the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Center here.
“I was supposed to drive that, but maybe lack of experience. Maybe. I don’t know. But I think I should drive that, maybe I can make the shot,” he added.
Gilas coach Yeng Guiao later agreed that the inexperience playing in the FIBA setting may have contributed to the confusion in the endgame.
“In a situation like that, in a PBA situation, there’s going to be a timeout and he will have a clear understanding of the whole situation,” Guiao said.
“But here, there are no timeouts in that situation. So once you get the ball, you’re on your own,” he added. “All of us in the bench were shouting ‘Atake’ (attack) or shoot. Atakehin mo.
“But for one reason or another, medyo nag-freeze si CJ (CJ somehow froze). And also, Kiefer (Ravena) was asking for the ball because I knew Kiefer’s going to ask for the ball. But what happened, CJ chose to mingle with the ball and time ran out.
“So it’s little maturity, little experience, it’s a little of getting used to the international game. He was probably expecting a timeout in that situation. Sa PBA tatimeout talaga yun. They’re so used to that environment sometimes, you cannot overturn the habit right away.”
Players can call timeouts in the PBA in any situation as long as they have the ball in their hands.
FIBA rules, however, only allows such during dead ball situations or baskets converted by the opposing team. (Jonas Terrado)
