Sports
Gilas Pilipinas Suffers 89-85 Upset Loss to Bahrain in Asian Games Opener
By INQUIRER.net
Gilas Pilipinas' bid to defend its men's 5-on-5 basketball gold medal at the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games 2026 began with a setback, as the Philippine squad fell to Bahrain, 89-85, on Friday at Aichi International Arena in their Group C opener.
A damaging run spanning the second and third quarters proved costly for Gilas against a Bahraini squad bolstered by four naturalized players. Naturalized standout JaKarr Sampson tormented the Filipinos throughout the contest, finishing with 24 points and eight assists to lead Bahrain to victory.
Calvin Oftana was the lone consistent scoring threat for the Philippines, erupting for a game-high 31 points. Oftana was a late addition to the roster following another absence by Justin Brownlee. However, he received little sustained support from his teammates, as Gilas struggled to find offensive rhythm while its defense had no answer for Sampson, Mustafa Rashed, and the physical presence of Elijah Thomas.
Bahrain built an early lead in the first quarter, going up 29-21. Despite a brief Gilas surge that saw the Filipinos take their first lead of the game, 43-41, late in the second quarter on baskets by Oftana and Justine Baltazar, Bahrain closed the half strong with an 8-0 run capped by a Sampson three-pointer, taking a 49-43 lead into the break.
At halftime, Oftana led all Gilas scorers with 14 points, followed by Baltazar with six, and Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser and Adrian Nocum with five apiece.
The third quarter proved decisive, as Bahrain extended its advantage behind a 21-5 run that pushed the lead to 14 points. Oftana attempted to keep Gilas within striking distance with a string of three-pointers, but Bahrain maintained control, closing the quarter with a buzzer-beating three from Ahmed Al Derazi to lead 76-61 heading into the fourth.
Gilas mounted a final push in the fourth quarter, cutting the deficit to four points, 89-85, on a Don Trollano transition three-pointer with 11.2 seconds remaining, but could not complete the comeback as the clock ran out.
Adrian Nocum exited the game briefly in the fourth quarter after appearing to injure his ankle following contact with Elijah Thomas' foot.
Gilas' starting five for the contest consisted of Adrian Nocum, Don Trollano, Robert Bolick, Justine Baltazar, and Zavier Lucero.
Ahead of the game, head coach Tim Cone had expressed confidence in his squad despite acknowledging the challenge posed by Bahrain's naturalized talent. "We have researched them the best we can and prepared," Cone said prior to the matchup, which marked the opening of the Philippines' campaign at the Asian Games. "The guys feel ready," he added, even as the team entered the tournament following back-to-back exhibition losses to South Korea in Suwon over the weekend.
Gilas Pilipinas teammates AJ Edu and Dwight Ramos, who faced off in a Japan B.League preseason game at Mall of Asia Arena earlier in the week, had voiced optimism about the national squad's chances in Nagoya. Edu, who saw limited action in Gunma Crane Thunders' 98-81 win over Ramos' Levanga Hokkaido, said he witnessed the determination of the Asian Games-bound roster. "Filipinos always show heart, definitely. I'm sure they'll show heart and represent us well for the Asian Games," said Edu, who tallied three points, seven rebounds, and four assists in the game.