Late-minute inclusions Jordan Clarkson, Scottie Thompson and Kai Sotto barely showed signs of rustiness and served notice of their desire to be included in the Gilas Pilipinas team for the FIBA World Cup.
On Friday, the three flashed their potential while leading the Gilas hopefuls for the World Cup to a convincing 85-62 victory over Ivory Coast in the first of their last three friendlies at the Philsports Arena.
Clarkson, the National Basketball Association star, who just rejoined Gilas since last playing for the national team in the fourth window of the Asian Qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup last year, ended up with 13 markers, the same output produced by six-time Philippine Basketball Association Most Valuable Player June Mar Fajardo.
AJ Edu, the newest member of the program, picked up from where he left off from his impressive showing in a series of tune up games in China.
Against Ivory Coast, the 6-foot-10 Cypriot-Filipino, wound up with 12 markers on top of seven boards.
Thompson, back in action after suffering a fractured right ring finger, contributed 11 markers, four rebounds and five assists while Sotto, the 7-foot-3 center, who was also coming off a back spasm injury that sidelined him for three weeks, showed no rust in his game and hit 5-of-6 shots to end the game with 10 points in a display of balance firepower for Gilas, who will next face Montenegro on Sunday.
