Gilas Pilipinas Bow To Estonia In First Pre-FIBA World Cup European Tune-Up MatchGilas Pilipinas Bow To Estonia In First

Gilas Pilipinas suffered a tough loss in their first tune-up game against Estonia in Tallinn as their late comeback attempt fell short. The Philippines started the game slow, falling behind 0-9 early on, and trailed 49-35 at halftime against a youthful Estonian team. 

Despite the deficit, Gilas fought back and managed to reduce the margin to 64-59 by the end of the third quarter, and they were only down 66-63 midway through the final quarter.

However, Estonia regained their rhythm just in time, hitting crucial shots including a three-pointer by Joonas Riisnaa with 10.7 seconds remaining, securing their 81-71 victory. 

Estonia’s success from beyond the arc was evident, converting 11-of-37 three-point attempts, while Gilas struggled with only five three-pointers out of 17 shots.

The game ended on a sour note for Gilas as they had to play without Justin Brownlee, who suffered an injury in the third quarter. Scottie Thompson was also absent from the match due to back spasms. Brownlee, who had recently joined the team, had nine points and four rebounds in 19 minutes before getting injured.

Dwight Ramos led the Philippines with 16 points, while Thirdy Ravena contributed nine points. Despite their efforts, Gilas could not complete the comeback against Estonia’s resilient defense. The tall frontline of Estonia was led by Carlos Jurgens, who scored 20 points, and Mikk Jurkatamm, who added 14 points.

With key players missing and new additions still finding their rhythm, the Philippines faces growing pains during their European training camp.

In the previous match, Gilas Pilipinas welcomed back Justin Brownlee after his absence due to a medical procedure. However, their lack of cohesion and the absence of key players were evident as they struggled against Estonia. Brownlee, who is competing for the lone naturalized player spot, scored eight points before leaving the game in the third quarter due to an injury.

Dwight Ramos led the team in scoring with 16 points, while Thirdy Ravena provided additional support with nine points. Despite a strong run that cut the deficit to a single possession, Gilas ran out of steam and failed to secure the victory. Estonia managed to close out the game with a 15-8 run, leaving the Philippines without a field goal in the final 3:30 minutes.

Carlos Jurgens led the scoring for Estonia with 20 points, while Mikk Jurkatamm contributed 14 points. 

The loss against Estonia serves as a learning experience for Gilas Pilipinas, highlighting areas that need improvement and the importance of having all key players available and in top form.

The boxscores:

Estonia 81 – Jurgens 20, M. Jurkatamm 14, Ilver 12, Riismaa 10, Kirsipuu 8, Aav 5, Pehka 5, T. Jurkatamm 3, Kasemets 2, Carey 2, Suurorg 0.

Philippines 71 – Ramos 16, T. Ravena 9, Brownlee 8, Perez 7, K. Ravena 6, Abando 5, Erram 5, Aguilar 5, Fajardo 5, Malonzo 3, Newsome 2.