First and foremost, MABUHAY ANG PILIPINAS!
What. A. Game.
After trailing by as much as 15 points in the 1st quarter and a half, Gilas made a game off their debut against one of Europe's finest in Croatia thanks to the efforts of naturalised centre Andray Blatche and the (surprisingly) 4th point guard in the rotation, captain Jimmy Alapag. True enough, Gilas found itself flat-footed early, unable to make shots versus the taller Croatians and pretty much jittery on the floor. Blatche was left to go isolation, much like he did the entire pre-FIBA tune-up campaign for Gilas, which wasn't bad since he was the only guy who could get buckets for us, but wasn't good either because it was messing up our spacing and dribble drive game plan.
If anything, this game can be summed up as Croatia probably taking us for granted early, and the proud men of Gilas just playing with all heart and effort. We caught them off-guard, being one of the virtual unknowns in the tournament and were fortunate enough to have been able to make shots in the end to force over time and salvage a respectable 81-78 loss.
Here's an amateur's take on the positives and negatives that we can learn from the game against Croatia:
Positive:
- Andray Blatche is versatile. He's clearly a walking mismatch at 6"11, with the hybrid forwards of Croatia unable to keep in step owing to Blatche's speed and ball handling skills (which is quite exceptional really and something we never saw in the NBA). Though Blatche is not a force in the paint, he makes up for his big man shortcomings by playing like a little man on the court. He helps spread the floor for our shooters, can drive to the hoop when he wants and has no problems whatsoever in taking (and making treys). Truth be told, Blatche helps our cause in making the game faster-- which gives us more attempts down the floor.
Showing posts with label NBA Philippines. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NBA Philippines. Show all posts
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Monday, August 4, 2014
adidas signs Toronto Raptors star
adidas signs Kyle Lowry |
“I’m really excited to continue my career with adidas and join a brand that I think compliments my aggressive playing style and future goals,” Lowry said.
The 6-foot Philadelphia native is known throughout the league as a fearless multifaceted offensive player, disruptive defender and superior rebounder at the point guard position.
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
NBA All Star 2014 unis are in!
NBA All Star 2014 Uniforms |
PORTLAND, Ore. (Jan. 16, 2014) – adidas, the official on-court apparel
provider for the National Basketball Association (NBA), today unveiled the uniforms
and apparel for the 63rd NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 16 in New
Orleans, La.
Designed
by adidas, the uniforms are inspired by New Orleans’ rich and unique culture,
featuring vibrant Mardi Gras colors and shiny brass and silver accents on a short-sleeved silhouette. The NBA All-Star logo appears on the chest of the blue “East”
and red “West” jerseys in the shape of the fleur-de-lis, the official symbol of
Louisiana, with a purple “W” or green “E” cut out to identify the
conference of each player.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
SPRITE AND NBA CARES SUPPORT SPECIAL OLYMPICS ATHLETES IN NBA GLOBAL GAME BASKETBALL CLINIC
A member of the NBA's Indiana Pacers (left)
supervises the basketball clinic of the
young Special
Olympics athletes
|
The NBA Cares Special Olympics Basketball Clinic Presented by Sprite took place on October 9 at the Mall of Asia Arena where 60 young Special Olympics athletes had a once-in-a-lifetime experience to improve their basketball skills with the assistance of employee volunteers from Sprite as well as the entire Indiana Pacers team. NBA Legends Ron Harper and Jalen Rose were also present to lend a helping hand.
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