KEVIN Quiambao’s clutch three-pointer may have lifted Gilas Pilipinas over Jordan, but the shot meant even more to the young forward because of who he dedicated the win to.
After knocking down the go-ahead triple with 11.7 seconds left in overtime, Quiambao dedicated Gilas’ thrilling 82-81 victory to teammate Carl Tamayo, who suffered an ankle injury during the game.
Asked whether the victory was for Tamayo, Quiambao immediately answered: “Oo, para kay Carl ’yun. Pagaling ka, Carl. Hopefully, makalaro ka sa Sunday,” said Kevin.
The message came after Quiambao delivered one of the biggest plays of the night.
With Gilas trailing for much of the game and the score tied at 72-all after regulation, Quiambao received the ball from CJ Perez and calmly knocked down the three-pointer to give the Philippines an 82-79 lead.
He admitted that he could not fully describe what he felt when the shot went in.
“I mean, for me, hindi ko rin masabi ’yung feeling ko noong pumasok siya,” Quiambao said.
But with Jordan still having 11 seconds to respond, the La Salle star knew the job was not finished.
“Pero we needed one stop kasi may 11 seconds lang para sa last shot,” he stressed.
That final stop eventually came from Kai Sotto, who blocked Abdullah Olajuwon’s potential game-winning attempt to preserve the victory.
Quiambao finished with 14 points, while Sotto led Gilas with 18 points and 14 rebounds.
For Quiambao, however, the celebration was tempered by concern for Tamayo, who managed eight points before leaving the game after rolling his ankle.
The victory snapped Gilas’ four-game losing streak and gave the Philippines a crucial start to the second round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Now, with Iran waiting on Sunday, Gilas will hope Tamayo can recover quickly and that the resilience shown against Jordan carries over to the next battle. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
