Poor defense doomed Gilas vs Jordan, says Justin Brownlee

Gilas Pilipinas naturalization center Justin Brownlee. – FIBA ​​​​PHOTO

BOCAUE – All that held the Philippines back in Monday night’s loss to Jordan was unnecessary if Gilas Pilipinas played stingy defense, according to Justin Brownlee.

“In the first half, I think it was just our defense,” the naturalized player said shortly after the 91-90 loss to the visitors at the Philippine Arena.

“If we could have tightened up our defense in the first half, the game would have been different,” he said.

The hosts found themselves trailing by double digits in the first two quarters and even slipped into a 25-point rut 8:23 in the second frame.

If not for Brownlee’s hard work with 41 points and 12 rebounds, Gilas would have lost the second and last place.

But the beloved PBA import insists that the rest of the Gilas residents are resilient.

“You see the will, the energy, and the fight in this team. Philippine basketball is about playing with your heart and giving everything you have and that’s what we’re doing,” he said.

Ever the optimist, Brownlee has been looking at how the loss will shape the future of the cage program.

“We learned a lot from this defeat. We are just looking to move forward,” he said. “Even if we lose, we will definitely learn a lot from this loss. I’m very happy to play with the guys, for the flag, and for the Philippines. That’s life[-long] memory.”

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