GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone said it best: What he saw in his team’s one-for-the ages win over China last Wednesday night was like an inspirational montage.
And what a difference one month made–from the time of former tactician Chot Reyes who bled for just a win in the last FIBA World Cup on home soil to Cone, who is on the verge of steering a hastily formed squad back to the Promised Land.
“I was like, this doesn’t happen, this only happens in the movies. It doesn’t happen in real life. So amazing,” a visibly ecstatic Cone said. “It was quite a miraculous win for us. We didn’t look like we had any chance whatsoever.
“But I’m really proud of our players for continuing to battle and continuing to fight and find(ing) a way to come back in. Of course, we couldn’t have done it without Justin doing the thing he does,” he added.
Cone spoke after the Philippine five did a Lazarus, scoring a dramatic come-from-behind 77-76 victory over the Chinese in their do-or-die semifinal duel to advance to the final of the 19th Asian Games basketball event at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Center Gymnasium in Hangzhou, China.
Gilas tangles with the Rondae Hollis-Jefferson-led Jordan quintet today at 8 p.m. at the same 15,000-seater venue, with both squads going for Asiad cage glory.
It will be the first Asian Games gold medal game for the Philippines since 1990 when the legendary Robert Jaworski guided an all-PBA team that featured Ramon Fernandez, Benjie Paras, Alvin Patrimonio and Allan Caidic to the silver medal in Beijing against a powerhouse Chinese squad.
The last time the country won the mint in the sport treated like a religion by Filipinos was in 1962 behind the great late Carlos Loyzaga, when Cone was only five years old and four years before his family came over to the Philippines.
Justin Brownlee notched a game-high 33 points, to go with five rebounds and four assists for Gilas, while reigning PBA MVP Scottie Thompson chipped in 13 markers, eight boards, and three dimes.
Down 20 big points at the half 26-46 and early in the third quarter, the Filipino cagers razed the deficit behind Brownlee, CJ Perez, and backup playmaker Kevin Alas in the payoff period.
Two missed free throws by China in the next play after a Perez basket set up Brownlee for a short jumper that pulled Gilas within 76-71.
China came up dry anew after its own timeout, with Ange Kouame securing a crucial steal.
