Andray Blatche expressed satisfaction with the way he played for Gilas Pilipinas on Thursday, when the Philippines took on the 10th-ranked team in the world Australia at the Margaret Court Arena in Melbourne.
This, even if the naturalized Filipino was only able to produce eight markers — seven in the first half — on 3-of-11 shooting, along with seven rebounds and an assist in the 26 minutes he played, which came in a 68-84 loss.
“It felt good to play. It felt good out there, playing injury-free,” shared the 31-year-old stretch big man.
Blatche was reportedly in pain during the first window of the Asian Qualifiers last November 2017 due to hamstring issues, which led to sub-standard numbers of 9.5 points, 13.0 boards, and 6.0 turnovers.
Another thing that made the 6-foot-11 center feel good despite the loss is the amount of support he saw. Filipinos seemingly outnumbered the Aussies inside the Margaret Court Arena, leaving the former NBA player beaming.
“I felt like we got the best fans in the world.
“No matter where we go, we get the same support. It was pretty good,” said Blatche, who then later declared that the Boomers will face that kind of crowd “times 10” in the third window
Now that he no longer feels any pain, the 31-year-old claimed that he’s set for Gilas’ clash with Japan this coming Sunday, even if he and the team will have to endure a lengthy eight-hour flight from Australia back home.
“This eight-hour flight is gonna take a toll on us, but with my team in China, we fly five hours, six hours three times a week so I should be okay with this,” he said.
“[I’ll] Get back to the hotel, get ready against Japan, and I’m ready to roll.”
