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MANILA, Philippines — Hong Kong nearly drove Gilas to the brink, losing by a margin that doesn’t really represent how unexpectedly close this game was.
The home team, buoyed by the partisan audience and the huge Qatar win earlier in the day, should have run roughshod over the overmatched and inexperienced Hong Kongers, but they were, instead, hampered by atrocious shooting and rebounding.
Injured players Marcus Douthit and Ranidel De Ocampo were expected to play sparingly in this encounter, but the way the game unfolded dictated that the duo play a total of 43+ minutes. That was certainly more than what coach Chot Reyes wanted, but it was necessary for Gilas to come out on top, 67-55, and formally clinch the top spot in Group E heading into the quarterfinals.
This is Gilas’s lowest scoring output of the tournament so far, and it certainly doesn’t bode well heading into the knockout game against Kazakhstan tomorrow. Go back through the excruciating game through these photos by FIBA Asia’s Nuki Sabio. – with reports from Enzo Flojo/Rappler.com
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