Amos shines in debut stint with seniors team     

If experience is the best teacher, then Mason Amos has all the trappings of an achievement.

The Filipino-Australian big man, who has yet to play a single game in college, turned in a swashbuckling debut in Gilas Pilipinas’ 107-96 romp over visiting Lebanon in the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers on Saturday night.

Amos scored 13 points built on a good 5-for-5 shooting clip and registered a pair of rebounds in less than nine minutes, a performance carved in a squad filled with overseas campaigners and battle-hardened PBA stars. the two most valuable players (MVP) of the league.

He scored 11 of his total output in the third quarter as he managed to get wind of the Cedars’ screen.

All that while dealing with jitters.

“I just stepped up,” the 18-year-old bruiser told reporters on the heels of a triumphant stand in the cavernous Philippine Arena. “I’m very nervous, because like I said, there are a lot of fans here.”

Go forward

His experience in high-level international matches while playing alongside the pros will only improve Amos’ game moving forward.

“Playing with PBA players? As an 18-year-old, there is a lot of pressure. But can I prove that I can play with them? They just told me to be confident in my shot. They said that if I think about it, take it. And it happened said,” he said.

In a previous interview with the Inquirer, Amos said he took cues from June’s six-time MVP Mar Fajardo. Both big men hit the treble in their payback win over Lebanon.

“He made me a better player,” Amos said of Fajardo.

Chot Reyes knows that Gilas is only scratching the surface with Amos, but that does not prevent the national coach from heaping praise on the young man who can also cinch for the roster against Jordan this Monday.

“He still has to learn, he has a lot to develop especially in defense. But you can see the shooting skills for the big man and it’s a weapon that he can continue to use moving forward,” said Reyes.

And Amos is pumped for more.

“Philippines, we are ready for the next one. We are looking forward to it,” he said.

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