A far cry from their last meeting, Gilas Pilipinas this time gave Turkey a dose of what "Puso" battlecry means.
In a losing effort, the national team went down swinging against a Turkish formidable team, bowing down to a final score of 84-76 in the last tune up game before the Olympic Qualifying Tournament starting July 5.
The Filipinos actually seized control in the opening quarter, leading by as much as six points before finishing the quarter with a one-point lead.
The second half was the turning point of the game, with Turkey outscoring the Gilas 16-0 across second and third quarters to establish a 50-33 lead.
Gilas Pilipinas cut the lead down 58-53 after unleashing a 20-8 scoring run, but only managed to keep the game close onwards.
The Filipinos almost stole the game in the waning minutes, with Terrence Romeo scoring eight unanswered points to close the gap at 82-76 with under a minute remaining.
But Turkey kept its composure the rest of the way to seal the win.
Ali Muhammed led the Turks with 16 points, but it was Samet Geyik and Melih Mahmutoglu who scored the crucial baskets that gave them enough cushion in the end.
Blatche had a game-high 20 points to go along seven boards while Terrence Romeo added 16 points of his own.
Jayson Castro and Gabe Norwood also finished in double-figures with 13 and 10 points, respectively.
On the bright side, it was a better result for the national team as compared to the 35-point drubbing it suffered from the Turks in Istanbul.
"We played much better compared to the game in Istanbul, but the Filipino fans must've seen the level of game that we will be facing in the competition," Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan said after the practice game.
Source: PBA SPIN
Share It To Your Friends!
Loading...