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Andray Blatche cries like a baby after Gilas loses to Argentina

Brave Gilas falls 85-81 to Argentina. (Photo from FIBA.com)

Naturalized NBA player Andray Blatche who has quickly become an integral part of the Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team and embraced the slogan "Laban! Puso!" couldn’t take the heartbreaking loss to Argentina, and according to coach Chot Reyes “cried like a baby” after the game.

Two quick fouls after he scored the first four points of Gilas forced coach Chot Reyes to bench Blatche who in the previous games against Croatia and Greece, ranked No, 5 in the world, hobbled for spells after he twisted his knee.

When Reyes wanted to take him out in the fourth quarter of the Greece game Blatche appealed for a chance to “make one last push” demonstrating a sense of commitment to the Philippine cause even as he played through the discomfort and pain and put his NBA career in jeopardy.

That he was unable to carry the team against Argentina despite finishing with 14 points and 15 big rebounds hurt even though wins in the Philippines' last two games against Puerto Rico and Senegal would give Gilas an outside chance of making it to the next round.

The 85-81 loss to Argentina followed its opening day overtime loss to Croatia in a game where the referees calls and crucial non-calls decided the outcome, prompting coach Chot Reyes to lament, “they don’t respect us. We deserve better.”

Since then the Philippines arguably showed we deserved respect when they battled FIBA’s world No. 5 ranked Greece squad all the way and then gave Argentina a scare in an epic comeback from 10 points down 71-61 going into the final quarter to come to within one point at 82-81 in the last two minutes on one of captain Jimmy Alapag’s five triples that helped keep the Philippines in the game to the bitter end.

It was to be Alapag’s farewell tournament for the Philippines but even some critics who didn’t want him in the team because he was too small according to Reyes, now don’t want him to quit and want him to play in the Incheon Asian Games.

Photo from FIBA.com
Photo from FIBA.com

Reyes revealed that Blatche was “banged up by Nocioni” and the travelling called on Blatche with just over two minutes to go in the game should have been a foul since he was roughed up while trying to drive to the basket with Argentina ahead 82-78.

Forced to pull our Ranidel De Ocampo who “was cramping up” there was nobody to provide Jayson Castro with a pick as he set himself up for a three-point shot and was correctly called for travelling which just about ended the hopes of a win with just over 11 seconds remaining in the game.

Rain or Shine coach Yeng Guiao who was on the TV5 panel appealed to Filipino basketball fans by telling them “don’t look at the losses, look at how we fought” even as he emphasized that “no top team in the world is going to take us for granted.”

The Argentine coach Julio Lamad who was full of praise for Gilas Pilipinas congratulated Chot and said “this was the most uncomfortable game of my life to coach” even as he conceded he couldn’t figure out the game of the Filipinos.

Reyes was clearly proud of his team pointing out that “we came back from 15 points down against the No. 3 team in the world” even as he noted that “if we were down by 20 would it have been easier to take?” and answered his own question, “That’s not in this team’s nature. We battle all the way."

He noted that despite being down by 10 points entering the fourth quarter “our players still wouldn’t quit, and added that’s the reason it hurts so much because my boys never quit.”

He said the Argentines “didn’t give Jimmy room to breathe in the end game and embraced him” after he had made some incredible three point baskets. The English commentators on the BTV coverage summed it up when they remarked “Argentina will remember the Philippines for this game.”

The next game of Gilas will be against Puerto Rico on September 3, 7:30PM (Manila time) and will be shown live on BTV.