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us. He’s a great guy and a good player. We’re glad he’s on our side.”
Another player whom Baldwin said could’ve contributed even more was De Ocampo. “Ranidel is coming off an injury and started practice with us late,” he said. “Ranidel is a deadshot from outside. He’s just starting to get his rhythm back after his layoff because of injury. We could’ve used his threepoint shooting against China.”
De Ocampo hit 2-of-9 field goals, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc, in the final. Blatche finished with 17 points on 6-of-13 from the floor, including 1-of-5 triples, and 4-of-5 free throws in 27:05 minutes. No other Gilas player was in double figures. Castro, named to the Mythical Five at point guard, scored eight points n 3-of-14 from the field, including 1-of-3 triples and 1-of-2 free throws.
The Philippines employed a 2-3 zone defense that took away China’s post position. That forced Chinese coach Gong Luming’s hand to rely on perimeter sniping and the hometown squad responded by knocking down 9-of-24 triples.
Before the final, China’s lowest field goal percentage in a game was 40 percent in beating Korea, 76-73. For the tournament, China shot 48.8 percent from the field. Gilas held MVP Yi Jianlian to 11 points on 4-of-14 field goals. Gilas’ defense clicked but its offense didn’t. Gilas struggled with only 35 percent field goal accuracy and missed 11 free throws, including two from technicals. Coincidentally, China’s margin of victory was 11 points, matching what Gilas blew from the line.
“China’s size was our biggest problem,” said Gilas team manager Butch Antonio. “They made us change our shots when we penetrated. Jayson’s floater wasn’t the same against the Chinese bigs.”
Gilas forward Marc Pingris said China’s ceiling was imposing but he wasn’t impressed by their bulk. He defended Yi at the post and pushed him out of his comfort zone. “They’re just tall but they can be pushed out of position,” said Pingris. “They’re not strong. I have a more difficult time pushing JuneMar (Fajardo) out of position.”