JAKARTA, Indonesia — The Philippines has nothing to be ashamed of despite surrendering another sorry battle to Korea in the men’s basketball competition of the 18th Asian Games at the GBK Basketball Hall here.
Photo by. FOXSPORTS Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes said the wards of Yeng Guiao put up a gallant stand and were just two breaks away from breaking the curse that has been haunting them for the past 56 years.
He said the absence of Erram in the third period and the offensive rebounding of the Koreans essayed another heart-chapter finish in the storied rivalry between these two elite squads.
The Philippines was actually leading by six, 54-46, when Erram dove for the ball, prompting him to ram through the ad boards and chip a couple of teeth.
He was given medical attention and sat for good despite tallying four rebounds and two blocks on top of great defense to naturalized Korean Ricardo Ratliffe.
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Also worth noting was the effort displayed by the Koreans in the fourth quarter. After a missed shot from the outside, the Koreans had three or four offensive rebounds to put them on their rhythm while leaving the Filipinos shaking their heads in frustration.
“It could have been a different story. In my mind, we were one or two good plays away from winning the game,” said Reyes, who will be replaced by Guiao in the second round of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier to serve a suspension for his involvement in the massive brawl with Australia last July.
“I thought we’re winning the game, but Poy Erram sat out and the Koreans got a couple or more rebounds from a missed three-pointers. That’s how they started. That’s how they got their groove back and gained confidence,” he told Daily Tribune’s Asiad coverage supported by Primehomes.
With the loss, the Philippines was relegated to the classification battle for fifth to eighth places.
The Filipinos still have two more games to play and should they emerge victorious, they will surpass the lowly seventh-place finish by Reyes and his boys in the previous Asian Games in Incheon in 2014.
