Almost an upset for Gilas

For a while, it looked like Gilas would shock the world. The odds put France beating the Philippines by 18 in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament at the MOA Arena the other night but when Gilas went up by 10 in the first half, suddenly, the mission didn’t seem impossible at all.

France was ahead by two at the half, 45-43, and after Jeff Chan buried a triple, Gilas was only a point away, 47-46, with 9:24 in the third period. Then came the French quarter storm as Nando De Colo fired nine points to fuel a 22-10 blast that pushed Les Bleus on top by 13, 69-56, with 3:11 to go in the period. Still, Gilas wouldn’t give up, buoyed by the hometown crowd chanting “de-fense, de-fense” whenever France had possession.

With time ticking away, Gilas made a last ditch stand to pull an upset. Gabe Norwood was credited for what appeared to be an own-goal shot and Gilas was only four down, 85-81, with 3:09 left. Norwood’s field goal capped a 6-0 binge that included two-pointers by Troy Rosario and Jayson Castro. On the next play, De Colo missed a triple but 6-11 Kim Tillie claimed the offensive rebound and Boris Diaw barged in for a layup to make it 87-81, triggering a crucial 8-0 spurt that took the wind out of Gilas’ sails. What hastened Gilas’ collapse was a string of three turnovers, one each by Rosario, Andray Blatche and Terrence Romeo.

Down the stretch, Gilas just couldn’t execute. There was hesitation to take the big shot as it looked like nobody wanted to be the goat. The players lost the aggressiveness they displayed in racing to a pair of 10-point leads in the early going. Coach Tab Baldwin put in Ranidel de Ocampo for his experience in the clutch and he quickly knocked down a three but it was too late.

Blatche was both good news and bad news for Gilas. He started like a house on fire, scoring 14 points in 8:53 minutes of the first period. That included a pair of triples. Then, Blatche went cold in the second period, going scoreless in nearly eight minutes. Castro took charge in the second quarter with seven points but Gilas could only add 13 to its total while France shot 23. Blatche came alive in the third period with seven points but didn’t score the rest of the way. JuneMar Fajardo played 7:37 minutes to relieve Blatche but wasn’t a factor.

Blatche’s consistency is critical. For Gilas to nurse a chance to win against a high-caliber team like France, he has to be a threat whenever he’s on the floor. A tendency to put the ball on the floor driving from the outside sometimes backfires. Blatche could draw a foul if the defender makes contact reaching in or he could be stripped of possession because his dribble is so high that the ball is easily tipped. Blatche had four miscues against France.

Baldwin sat down Japeth Aguilar the whole stretch and Gilas’ lack of ceiling was evident as he used Blatche and Fajardo alternately instead of together. Rosario was a revelation at the four spot, claiming a team-high nine boards and scoring six points in 19:25 minutes. His energy on the floor was infectious. Romeo, Castro and Norwood also played above par.

France’s efficiency was reflected in its assist-to-turnover ratio of 18:15 compared to Gilas’ 11:18. French coach Vincent Collet worked his patterns like a yo-yo. He set up staggered screens for De Colo to get off his shot from beyond the arc, usually in the corners. If Gilas’ defense closed out, the ball went to the post for the bigs to maneuver one-on-one. If Gilas doubled or clogged the interior, the ball was whipped back to the perimeter. The in-and-out routine kept going until Gilas showed a crack in the defense.

When Gilas played France in Antibes before the FIBA World Cup in 2014, Les Bleus won, 75-68, despite being outgunned from three-point range, 12-2. The French outrebounded Gilas, 52-29 and converted more free throws, 19-10, to put the game away. Eight players from the Antibes tournament are in Manila so they know Gilas lives or dies by the three-point shot.

NBA veteran Nicolas Batum played in Antibes but sat out the game the other night. He’s just come to terms on a five-year $120 Million deal with the Charlotte Hornets and since free agents can only sign up starting today, it was prudent to skip the contest. Besides, Batum planed in only the night before. He’ll be available against New Zealand tonight.

Gilas hit 11-of-28 from three-point distance and France, 5-of-20, last Tuesday and had only one free throw and one rebound less. Gilas grabbed more offensive rebounds, 19-14, but France tallied more second chance points, 21-16. France dominated the paint by scoring 54 points in the lane compared to Gilas’ 34. That meant France’s shot selection was at a higher level as Les Bleus ended up shooting 54 percent from the field to Gilas’ 41.

France led 20:52 minutes and Gilas, 17:05 so it wasn’t like the game was one-sided. Far from it. France scored only three more fastbreak and two more turnover points. Gilas had more bench points, 33-24. It came down to execution down the stretch. With the outcome on the line, Gilas blinked and the more seasoned French didn’t. There’s a reason why France is ranked No. 5 in the world by FIBA and the Philippines, No. 28. But the gap isn’t widening. It’s in fact thinning. Gilas came close to scoring an upset over France. It has to build on that experience to be more competitive at the global level.