Sitting on the steps at the baseline section of the PhilSports Arena late Friday night, Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes put behind him the just-ended tune-up game against Ivory Coast and turned his thoughts on the more challenging task at hand on Sunday.
“Oh, Montenegro, that’s a very different team, mas malakas yan, European style, [Nikola] Vucevic is there, a bonafide NBA starter for his team, and some others,” Reyes said moments after GilasPilipinas, on the strength of its second half defense, overpowered the FIBA World Cup African Qualifier even with NBA star Jordan Clarkson on the bench in the last 16 minutes of the cruising 85-62 victory.
“Dyan, mapapalaban talaga tayo. But we’ll see. We’re looking to play better in the Montenegro game than we did today,” Reyes said.
The August 20 game is at 8 p.m. also at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City. Montenegro, which clinched a World Cup berth on the last game day of the European Qualifiers in November last year, is ranked No. 18 in the world and is powered by Vucevic, a 6-foot-9 forward from the Chicago Bulls, 6-foot-7 BojanDubljevic, and shooters Vladimir Mihailovic and Dino Radoncic.
Gilas Pilipinaswill wrap up its tune-up matches on Monday against world No. 31 Mexico at the same time and venue.
The closed-door match with the Ivorians, who have defending champion Spain, Iran, and Brazil as company in Group G in Jakarta, Indonesia, was the first of three scheduled friendlies for the Philippine team before its inaugural game against the Dominican Republic on August 25 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
Clarkson, a go-to-guy for the Utah Jazz, and six-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, led five GilasPilipinas players in double figures against Ivory Coast, also known as Cote d’Ivoire.
Both had 13 points, while AJ Edu added 12 with seven rebounds, Scottie Thompson 11, and 7-foot-3 NBA hopeful Kai Sotto 10 points on 5 of 6 shooting, as Gilas gathered strength heading to the Basketball World Cup.
Clarkson playing without relief in the fast and furious first half was by design, Reyes bared.
“Pinag-usapan talaga namin yon, he’ll play the whole first half kasi kailangan nyang makuha yung kanyang game wind. And then he starts sa third, and if kailangan siya sa fourth, babalik siya. E di nakinailangan so okay na yon, pahinga, prepare nalang for the next game.”
Reyes will prune down the 16-man lineup after the tune-up matches to come up with the Final 12 for their initial foray into the World Cup: the all-important Group Phase games against the Dominican Republic on August 25, Angola on August 27 and Italy on August 29, the last two at the Big Dome.
