CHICAGO – The beating was swift and decisive. Early and brutal.
Jordan 33. Philippines 14.
And the deficit sank deeper to 16-41 at the 7:56 mark of the second quarter.
Unlike Lebanon, which traveled without its four best players and had no appetite to compete during a 107-96 loss last Friday, it was clear that the Jordanians came to play.
And Gilas wasn’t ready. Didn’t have the energy and enthusiasm.
The fault is not in our stars and players. The blame lies in those not wearing shorts. Gifting the opponents a 19-point head start reflects a lack of preparation that the coaching staff is responsible for.
Gilas struggled to defend Jordan’s pick-and-roll and it took an entire half for coach Chot Reyes to realize that June Mar Fajardo, who went scoreless in 11 minutes and 45 seconds of action, was a liability against the much more nimble Jordanians.
