Willie Marcial admitted that the pain from Gilas Pilipinas’ crushing loss to China remains fresh, but urged critics to spare the players from further bashing when they return home.
The Philippines was eliminated from contention for a second straight Asian Games gold medal after suffering a 61-105 drubbing at the hands of China on Monday at the Aichi International Arena in Japan.
Gilas could have survived a loss of up to 37 points to advance to the knockout stage through point differentials. Instead, the team absorbed a 44-point beating that ended its title defense and sent the team to a ninth-place finish — the Philippines’ worst showing in Asian Games men’s basketball history.
For Marcial, the defeat was particularly painful to witness, especially after seeing the players deal with the backlash that followed on social media.
“Masakit para sa akin to see that happen. Sobrang sakit at ganun din sa mga players,” said Marcial.
Despite the lopsided result, Marcial defended the players and pointed to China’s size and shooting as major reasons for the one-sided affair.
“Pero ano’ng magagawa ng mga players natin? Ang tatangkad ng mga Chinese players ngayon, mga shooters pa,” he said.
The loss came less than 48 hours after Gilas restored confidence with a 109-78 demolition of Kazakhstan. But against China, the Filipinos quickly found themselves in a massive hole, trailing 36-16 after the opening quarter.
“There was no crying, pero lahat nakatungo. Halos ayaw ko rin silang tignan, masakit eh,” Marcial said.
China felt particularly motivated against the Philippines after suffering two painful defeats to Gilas in 2023. The Filipinos beat the Chinese in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Manila before pulling off another stunning comeback in the Asian Games semifinals in Hangzhou.
This time, however, China got its revenge against an all-local Philippine lineup that did not have naturalized stars Jordan Clarkson or Justin Brownlee.
The Chinese dominated from the opening quarter and never looked back, with seven players finishing in double figures. Wang Junjie led the way with 20 points and 14 rebounds, while Liao Sanning added 14 and Hu Mingxuan chipped in 13.
China shot 51-percent from the field and overwhelmed Gilas on the boards, 54-35, while also dishing out 24 assists.
Calvin Oftana was the lone Philippine player to score in double figures with 13 points.
For Marcial, however, the numbers did not diminish his appreciation for the players who committed themselves to the national team.
“Nakakaawa kasi sila and I salute them for the sacrifices they made and their willingness to serve the country. So nagpapasalamat pa rin ako sa kanila nang husto,” he said.
Marcial also credited China for preparing thoroughly for the matchup. “Talagang pinaghandaan tayo nang husto ng China,” he said.
With Gilas set to return home on Wednesday, Marcial appealed to critics to temper their reactions and remember that the players have families who will also have to deal with the aftermath of the defeat.
He also questioned the timing of the Asian Games in relation to the FIBA World Cup qualifying window 5, saying the national team could have been in a better position had the competitions been arranged differently.
“Sayang nga, dapat mas nauna yung window ng FIBA World Cup qualifiers kaysa sa Asian Games,” added Marcial.
“Sana hindi ganito. Iba talaga kapag walang naturalized players.”
