Gilas Fashions Epic Comeback Win Against Qatar, 92-81.

For two long quarters, it seemed like our worst nightmares had come true.

We went 1-15 from 3 while Qatar went 4-4 from three and 4-8 from 2. They went up bug 17 points and no one could get anything going.

We finally pruned it down to a 13 point lead by halftime (52-39) and hoped Coach Yeng Guiao and the Gilas boys had some fight left in them.

And then big Beau Belga, scrappy Scottie Thompson, and hyper Japeth Aguilar decided to put Gilas on their collective backs and tow them back into the game.

The Gilas Lineup Vs Qatar: An Update

So here's the final 12 for Gilas against Qatar:

Aguilar, Japeth

Belga, Beau

Cabagnot, Alex

Dalistan, Paul

Erram, JP

Lassiter, Marcio

Norwood, Gabe

Pringle, Stan

Sangalang, Ian

Taulava, Asi

Thompson, Scottie

Wright, Matthew

Left out are:

Almazan, Raymond

Malicsi, Allein

Slaughter, Greg

Standhardinger, Christian

Here's my take:

We already knew Standhardinger was probably not going to play against Qatar so that's no surprise. Besides, I'm pretty stoked to see Stanley Pringle play. So this is pretty okay.

Gilas Vs. Qatar: Who Should Make The Lineup

Tomorrow, Gilas goes up against Qatar in a closed door match, as per the sanctions levied by FIBA for the now infamous Bulacan Brawl.

Qatar is one of the relative lightweights in the group, ranking last in points scored and assists, and  14th (out of 16th) in total rebounds.

Tanguy Ngombo will likely lead the team but they're going to need more than just his 14points and 8 rebounds. Qatar is a good team but they're nowhere near Gilas' level, if Gilas plays to their potential.

Gilas Vs Iran: Grades

Photo courtesy of FIBA.com

We're giving out grades for Gilas' 73-81 loss to Iran last night, taking into consideration the player's impact and contribution versus expectations and potential.

Players will be graded from 1-10, 10 bring the highest, 1 being the suckiest, 6 as the passing grade, and incomplete for those who didn't get a fair chance to show their stuff.

The Starters:
Asi Taulava - Incomplete. The Ageless One played 5 minutes and had 3 points on 1/3 shooting from 3. But with Haddadi unexpectedly out, there was really no need for Asi's heft or experience.

Iran Downs Gilas 81-73. Three Thoughts On the Game.

It was a well played game by Gilas but Iran's considerable size on the wings as well as its late barrage of threes proved to be the big difference today.

Here are three thoughts on the game:

Thought #1 Standhardinger is the best big man Gilas has.

Yes he is. I know some people will continue to tout JuneMar Fajardo as our premier big man but I dare anybody to look at their body of work for Gilas and still say that Fajardo is the better Gilas player. 

Gilas vs Iran: The Matchups

It's game day and you know what that means.

Means we get to guess what will make or break this game for Gilas.

So here are three match ups that will be crucial for us.

Match up #1: Hamed Haddadi vs the Gilas Frontline
There is no Asian big man who poses a bigger threat that Iran's hamed Haddadi. The former NBA player is big, mobile, skilled, and a fierce competitor. With no Andray Blatche to pull him out of the shaded lane or make him work extra hard on defense, Haddadi will have lots of energy on the offensive end of things...which means our smaller-than-expected frontline will have to a harder time keeping him in check.