Former Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tab Baldwin was delighted that after six decades, the Philippines had secured the Asian Games gold medal.
Gilas exacted vengeance on group stage tormentor Jordan in the most crucial game, winning the gold medal match 70-60 on Friday evening in Hangzhou, China.
However, for Baldwin, the individual performances of the players didn’t matter. It was all about the Philippines finally breaking a 61-year drought on the continental stage.
“I’m just so happy for the team; it’s not up to me to analyze. I just admired the defense as a coach, and I’m very, very happy for Tim and the staff and all the players, and obviously very happy for the Philippines,” said Baldwin, who is now in his ninth year in the country.
“This is a great day in basketball for this country, and it should be treasured. I think, stop analyzing, just enjoy it. This is a great moment. A gold medal in that competition is special,” he continued.
Baldwin pointed out that what pushed the Philippines to its fourth gold medal was not reflected in the stat sheet.
“That game was all about toughness, defense. Tim Cone did an outstanding job manipulating that lineup.”
Speaking of defense, Baldwin commended the efforts of two former Ateneans in Chris Newsome and Ange Kouame.
Newsome was the primary defender against Jordan’s main weapon, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and he did a spectacular job.
Hollis-Jefferson finished with 24 points but shot a woeful 8-of-29 from the field. Newsome also contributed 13 points and two assists while being a game-high plus-17 in his 30 minutes and 20 seconds on the floor.
Kouame, who was coached by Baldwin throughout his collegiate career with the Blue Eagles, also received praise for his performance against Jordan’s big man Ahmad Al Dwairi. Kouame tallied 14 points, 11 rebounds, five steals, and two blocks.
Coincidentally, Al Dwairi was also a student of Baldwin when he was the head coach of the Jordan national team from 2011 to 2012.
(c) POC-PSC Media Group
“Chris Newsome’s job on Rondae was otherworldly, and that didn’t show up on the stat sheet,” said the American-Kiwi tactician.
“Ange Kouame getting the minutes that he got and controlling the paint against Ahmad Al Dwairi, who I’ve known since he was a 17-year-old kid when I was coaching in Jordan, and he’s a hell of a basketball player, and he didn’t like Ange being out there.”
