HONG KONG — After the Dominican Republic’s 87-81 victory over the Philippines during the opening night of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan, coach Nestor Garcia had nothing but kind words for the host nation.
Garcia managed the team from the sidelines while NBA player Karl-Anthony Towns led the Dominicans with 26 points and 10 rebounds in nearly 35 minutes of play. The visiting team had the challenge of containing Gilas star Jordan Clarkson, who recorded 28 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists in 34 minutes and 31 seconds.
“We respect the Philippine team,” said the FIBA AmeriCup 2015 winner. “They played good basketball. For us (there were) some moments when it was difficult to stop (Jordan) Clarkson because he creates, scores.
“The game was tight maybe for 37 minutes but we know that in the last minutes, we always play good in the last minutes… We know when it was our moment.”
AJ Edu, Japeth Aguilar, Junemar Fajardo, and Kai Sotto all took turns trying to contain Towns, yet the standout player from the Minnesota Timberwolves proved to be formidable. Nonetheless, their efforts did not go unnoticed.
It’s not an everyday occurrence for the Philippines’ top big men to measure themselves against a genuine NBA player, but they certainly left a lasting impression on the international mentor.
“The big guys of Philippines, I think that they are very smart especially (since) they made too much effort trying to stop Karl Towns. Karl, his game is a lot to learn,” said Garcia.
“I think they played physical. They tried to contain him, they deny I think every offensive rebound… He took three offensive rebounds. It was hard for him to play against the big guys of Philippines… They played with too much effort trying to contain him.”
Beyond the victory, Garcia was effusive in his praise for the conduct of Filipino supporters within the Philippine Arena. A record-high 38,115 fans were present, making it the largest attendance in FIBA Basketball World Cup history.
Despite the presence of tens of thousands of spectators, no untoward incidents transpired, and the evening evolved into a celebration of basketball.
“Unbelievable. It was amazing, you know? Educated people, you know? Their behavior was unbelievable with their respect. They respect the game. They respect the referees. They respect our team,” said Garcia.
“It was a basketball party because all the fans support their team and respect my team. I’m very grateful for that.”
