Sometimes, all one needs is a reason to believe.
Gilas 3.0 just gave every basketball-loving Filipino a reason to truly believe.
That Olympic dream is not a pipe dream after all. It is actually a possibility.
Team Pilipinas proved that much in a stunning 87–73 victory over Iran, widely considered as the top team in the tournament, markedly better than everyone else, including the hosts and perennial powerhouse South Korea.
Gilas Pilipinas defeated Iran in the 5th day (2nd day of 2nd Round) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship held at CSWC Gymnasium in Changsha, China.
Andray Blatche vs Hamed Haddadi
Gilas Pilipinas with 2 plays again in the Top 5 Plays of Day 5 of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, a circus shot by Andray Blatche and step back three-pointer by Terrence Romeo. Also in the Top 5: Clinton Johnson (Qatar), Qi Zhou (China) and Jianlian Yi (China).
Watch Top 5 Plays of FIBA Asia Day 5 Video
2015 FIBA Asia Championship (2nd Round)
Gilas Pilipinas defeated Iran, 87-73
September 28, 2015 – Changsha, China
Game Highlights:
-Jason Castro led Gilas with 26 points, 3 assists and 3 steals
-Andray Blatche with 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 stealsand 2 blocks
-Terrence Romeo scored 15 points (3/5 from 3)
A win is a win.
Gilas Pilipinas opened round 2 action on a winning note, overcoming a poor start, an injury to naturalized reinforcement Andray Blatche, and sloppy play all around, to eke out a 73-66 victory over a hard-fighting and decidedly more disciplined Japan five.
Gilas Pilipinas defeated Japan in the 4th day (1st day of 2nd Round) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship held at CSWC Gymnasium in Changsha, China.
-Andray Blatche playing with a sprained ankle led Gilas with 18 points & 10 rebounds
Gilas Pilipinas with 2 plays in the Top 5 Plays of Day 4 of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, a block by Andray Blatche and buzzer beating layup by Terrence Romeo. Also in the Top 5: Siu Wing Chan (Hong Kong), Amjyot Singh (India) and Jianlian Yi (China).
Watch Top 5 Plays of FIBA Asia Day 4 Video
Day 4 (Second Round Day 1) of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, China (September 27, 2015)
2015 FIBA Asia Championship Day 4 Results
Group E Game 1: Iran defeated Hong Kong, 111-56
Group E Game 2: India defeated Palestine, 73-70
Group E Game 3: Philippines defeated Japan, 73-66
Top Scorer: Andray Blatche with 18 points
Andray Blatche playing with a sprained ankle led Gilas Pilipinas with 18 points and 10 rebounds in a heroic performance vs Japan in the 2nd round of the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.
Watch Injured Andray Blatche Highlights vs Japan Video