CALVIN Oftana delivered a huge offensive performance, but his effort went unrewarded as Gilas Pilipinas fell to Bahrain, 89-85, to start their 2026 Asian Games campaign on Friday at the Aichi International Arena in Japan.
Oftana, who was a late addition to the roster following Justin Brownlee’s injury, erupted for 31 points, including six three-pointers, but could not prevent the Philippines from opening its title defense with a loss.
Bahrain came out firing, racing to an 8-0 lead behind its interior attack before taking a 29-21 advantage at the end of the opening period.
Gilas responded in the second quarter, with Oftana leading the charge as the Philippines eventually moved in front, 43-41, after a basket from Justine Baltazar.
Bahrain regained control before halftime, closing the second quarter with an 8-0 run to take a 49-43 lead into the break.
The Bahrainis continued to pull away in the third period, building a 76-61 cushion heading into the final quarter.
Gilas refused to go quietly and attempted to mount a comeback, but Bahrain repeatedly found answers on both ends of the floor. The Philippines still trailed, 89-78, with three minutes remaining.
Adrian Nocum trimmed the deficit with a layup, but suffered an ankle injury on the play after landing on the foot of Bahrain center Elijah Thomas. Nocum was forced to leave the game and did not return.
Baltazar followed with an inside basket before Don Trollano hit a three-pointer as Gilas made one final push. The late rally, however, came too late as Bahrain held on for the victory.
JaKarr Sampson led Bahrain with 24 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Mustafa Rashed added 20 points, including four three-pointers, while Thomas also finished with 20.
Nocum supported Oftana with 14 points, seven rebounds and five assists, while Baltazar had 10 points. Trollano finished with nine points and eight rebounds.
Gilas will look to bounce back against Kazakhstan on Saturday evening, while Bahrain will face China on the same day. (Adrian Co)
