Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes allayed concerns about the health condition of top gun Jordan Clarkson after sitting out in their tune-up game against Mexico on Monday night.
The National Basketball Association star got time off from action in the last of three Gilas friendlies to prime up for the FIBA World Cup kicking off on Friday at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
But Reyes dispelled any fears of injury on Clarkson that might jeopardize his first World Cup stint as the mentor just gave his permission to let the Utah Jazz standout take a rest.
“He just needed rest,” Reyes said of the 31-year-old guard following Gilas’ 77-84 loss to the hot-shooting Mexicans in their final closed-door tune-up game at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
Clarkson, who played in the first two tune-up games against Ivory Coast and Montenegro, sat down with Gilas team manager Butch Antonio before the Mexico friendly and requested to sit out the match.
“Nothing like that (injury),” Antonio assured.
“He really just wanted to rest.”
Gilas begin their third straight World Cup campaign on Friday against the Karl-Anthony Towns-led Dominican Republic before taking on Angola on 27 August and Italy on 29 August in Group A.
Clarkson was onboard the entire first half and the first four minutes of the third quarter in Gilas’ 85-62 victory over FIBA Africa qualifier Ivory Coast last Friday.
He then logged almost 30 minutes during a bruising 87-102 defeat to world No. 18 Montenegro two days later.
Mexico, bracketed in Group D with Montenegro, Egypt, and Lithuania, broke out of a 51-51 deadlock at the half to open a 69-63 advantage at the end of the third period.
The Mexicans forced the Filipinos to commit seven turnovers in the third quarter as they created the separation.
Gilas came close, 69-72, halfway in the payoff period after an AJ Edu basket but Mexicans quashed the threat with free throws and outside baskets down the stretch.
Pako Cruz rained down four triples to finish with 18 points, Paul Stoll added 17 with five treys, Fabian Jaimes had 15, while barrel-chested Josh Ibarra got 12 and nine rebounds for Mexico, which shot 13-of-24 from the trifecta compared to Gilas’ 7-of-23.
Scottie Thompson led Gilas with 14 points but no other had more than nine after RR Pogoy and Dwight Ramos.
Jamie Malonzo and Kai Sotto made eight points apiece, Kiefer Ravena got seven, June Mar Fajardo and Chris Newsome with six each, CJ Perez chipped in four, while Japeth Aguilar and Edu added three points apiece.
