MANILA, Philippines – There was never any doubt in Tim Cone’s mind that Scottie Thompson belongs on the international stage.
After missing Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in June due to a back injury, Thompson returned to the Philippine lineup with a bang as they finally broke through against New Zealand, 93-89, to stay unbeaten in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
In close to 33 minutes of playing time as a starter, Thompson was one of five Gilas Pilipinas players to score in double digits with 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting, together with 4 rebounds and 6 assists.
Once criticized for not being a huge outside threat, Thompson silenced the doubters by knocking down two of his five attempts from beyond the arc for a team-best three-point shooting output.
“Well, I remember a time and I remember this time very distinctly where there was a lot of talk about Scottie can’t play at the international game. I don’t know if you guys remember that, but there were a lot of people saying he can’t play in the international game because he can’t shoot,” said Gilas Pilipinas head coach Cone of Thompson.
“But in my mind, there’s never been any doubt, and in his mind, there’s never any doubt.”
With the Philippines staring at a 20-28 disadvantage early in the second quarter, it was Thompson who spearheaded a massive 15-3 Gilas Pilipinas fightback as he unloaded 9 of his 12 points in that juncture, including a personal 7-0 run to give the Filipinos a 35-31 lead.
It was also Thompson who sank a huge go-ahead three-pointer with 3:35 left in the third quarter that gave the Filipinos a 61-60 advantage, which they managed to protect the rest of the way.
“The thing with Scottie is you can look at video all you want, [but] until you actually get on the floor and play against him, you don’t realize what he’s doing out there on the floor for you,” said Cone of his Barangay Ginebra star.
“In terms of his tremendous rebounding, I think that’s what gets the most print. But his defense is spot on, his hustle on the defensive side is spot on, and he’s really, really worked hard on improving his shot, so he’s not a guy you can just step off of anymore. And his ability to get to the rim and create has always been there. He’s been that triple-double machine ever since he was at Perpetual (in the NCAA).”
“So to me, it’s not a surprise… It’s still amazing the things he does, but it’s not a surprise to us and it’s not a surprise to Kai (Sotto) and all of his teammates,” added Cone.
After improving to 3-0 in Group B, Thompson and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas now look to secure an outright berth in next year’s Asia Cup when they battle Hong Kong on Sunday, November 24, at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Philippines previously crushed Hong Kong in the opening window of the qualifiers last February, 94-64. – Rappler.com
