New weapons provide boost, thrill for Gilas
The new pieces Gilas Pilipinas unleashed in its 107-96 revenge win against Lebanon gives program director and coach Chot Reyes much excitement moving forward.
Leading the pack was Justin Brownlee, who delivered as expected both the numbers and the intangibles in his first time wearing the Philippine national colors in international play.
Equally impressive as debutant was 18-year-old Mason Amos, who flaunted his flawless shooting touch and more than held his own against seasoned cagers.
Then there was Jamie Malonzo, the athletic forward in only his second Gilas tour who produced the highlight reel jams and tireless hustle plays.
The trio provided a big spark as the Filipinos got back at the Cedars in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in Bocaue, Bulacan while dishing out their highest scoring game and firing a record-tying high of 17 threepointers in these qualifiers.
Brownlee showed the way with 17 points spiked by two triples to go with five assists, four rebounds and two steals, his chemistry with kababayans very evident.
“Of all of Justin’s skills – he shoots the ball well, he defends, he penetrates – he’s got a lot of technical skills but the one skill for me that I appreciate is he’s a great teammate. And great teammates, they make their teammates better. For me, that’s his greatest skill,” Reyes said.
“The Philippines shows so much love to me. I just want to do my best and do whatever I can to try and give some of it back,” said Brownlee.
The 6-foot-7 Amos made all of his five attempts on the floor, including three from beyond the arc, in a stellar 13-point outing.
“Mason is only 18, he still has a lot to learn, a lot to develop, especially on defense. You can see his shooting prowess from a bit and that’s a weapon we feel we can continuously exploit moving forward,” said Reyes.
Malonzo posted 15 markers laced by three treys plus five boards, three dimes and two blocks in a strong all-around performance.
Off the bench, the high-flying Malonzo and Amos helped offset the lack of bigs that plagued Gilas following the injury to Japeth Aguilar and the absence of Kai Sotto.
“They were basically our bigs after June Mar Fajardo and Justin. So the fact that they both played well, I think, was a big factor for us. They gave us a spark in both the first and second half so I hope they can continue,” said Reyes.
“There’s a lot of pressure that comes with playing with PBA players as an 18-year-old. And being able to prove that I can play with them is great,” said youth standout Amos.
For his part, Malonzo said: “I really just want to go out there, play the hardest I could for the country and that’s what I did.”
Gilas (15 points on a 6-3 record) will wrap up its assignments in Group E tomorrow against Jordan (14 points on 5-4) also at the Philippine Arena.