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HONG KONG – Count on Filipino fans to make Gilas Pilipinas feel like playing at home even when the game is on the road.
The Philippines’ 94-64 romp of Hong Kong on Thursday, February 22, to kick off its FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers campaign hardly felt like an away game as Filipinos packed the Tsuen Wan Stadium to support their compatriots.
From the shootaround to the final buzzer, the partisan Filipino crowd showed how much love it has for the visiting national team, which drew inspiration from the cheers to turn a close game at halftime to a lopsided win.
“We always travel very well because we always have a crowd and I think that’s a big advantage that we have over other teams,” said head coach Tim Cone.
“No matter where we play, there’s always a crowd that’s going to be behind us, always cheering.”
Barangay Ginebra stars Justin Brownlee and Scottie Thompson, as well as Japan B. League standouts Dwight Ramos and Kai Sotto were among the crowd favorites as they drew the loudest cheers whenever they made plays.
One fan even brought a sign that read “I love you, Papa Dwight,” flashing it with a photo of the dashing guard.
Refusing to let their supporters down, the four played prominent roles in the win that saw the Filipinos outscore the hosts, 30-9, in the third quarter to pull away after holding a slim 41-37 lead at the break.
Brownlee finished with 16 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals, Sotto posted 13 points, 15 rebounds, and 2 blocks, Ramos put up 9 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists, while Thompson paired his 9 assists with 5 points.
“[We] made a couple of nice plays and that really got [the fans] cheering hard and it kind of lifted our spirits and we got some momentum and that kind of keyed our run there in the third quarter,” said Cone.
After the game, the players accommodated requests for photos and signed mementos on their way to the team bus to further make their supporters’ day.
“We know they had to spend their hard-earned money to watch the game and so we truly appreciate them there,” said Cone. – Rappler.com
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