Struggling bigtime in the second half on Friday night, Gilas Pilipinas went to its two most reliable guns when the chips were down to score a 77-71 victory over Japan in the first window of their Fiba Asia 2019 World Cup Qualifying series at Komazawa Olympic gym in Tokyo.
Jason Castro and naturalized player Andray Blatche stepped up big and averted a collapse by the Filipinos, who bungled first half command with a lethargic third quarter and even trailed the under-rated Japanese twice in the third period before pulling out the win.
Castro finished with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists, reprising his role as Gilas’ top go-to-guy, while the 6-foot-11 Blatche, who seemed to limp in the last four minutes, wound up with 13 points, 12 rebounds and five assists.