FIBA Asia- Chot's Apology, etc.

In recent FIBA Asia Championship action, the Philippines lost in a heartbreaker to a sweet-shooting Chinese Taipei squad, 84-79. After the game, Coach Chot Reyes offered an "apology" to Filipinos in Taiwan who have suffered as a result of souring relations between the Philippines and the country that produced Fong Pang Chao (see billiards reference). Whether this was a sincere apology, and/or a way also to help console his wards after losing a match they could and perhaps should have won, Coach Chot, in my view, should make this more about hoops and not an international relations standoff. Most people may view him as one who is adding "fuel to the fire", when in fact, he may just be trying to play motivator. Truth is, Smart Gilas Pilipinas needs to find more ways to score as opposed to living and dying by the 3 point bomb. Jason William (Castro) has managed to score on forays into the paint, and so has steady big man Marcus Doughthit, but then, Gilas could stand to run a bit more. Pacing was also an issue in the last game, with cagers like Chan and Tenorio getting minimal action especially during crunch time. Fatigue, I think, played a role in the loss as well, with Gilas jacking up ill-advised shots in the last 3 minutes along with losing out on a couple of salvageable rebounds. Furthermore, the Chinese Taipei team killed Smart Gilas on drive and kicks to open shooters. Perhaps a shift from a Zone Defense to a Man-To-Man scheme would have suited us better in the final few minutes of the game. Whatever the case, it is the consensus belief that the Philippines still has a strong shot at making it all the way to the end. Irony is that, the more even the field, the greater the chance we play top-seeded teams like China and Iran. The current Philippine National Team, however, seems to be the best/most balanced/seasoned one we've had in years, so, the odds are that the next few days could end up being historical for the Pearl of the Orient. #LabanPilipinas Miguel