Gilas needs to flash top form to get past Iran

INCHEON, South Korea – "We have to be at our best to beat Iran."

That's Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes game plan against rival Iran on their much-awaited match in the 17th Asian Games at Hwaseong Gym, one hour away from this industrial city.

Despite the Nationals’ overachieving performance in the recent FIBA World Cup where they ended up with one win (against Senegal) against four close losses, Reyes is convinced that Iran is still the team to beat in this Asian Games as the FIBA Asia champions demolished India, 76-41, on Wednesday.

Gilas could only beat India by nine, 85-76, despite a 16-0 hot start on Tuesday. Reyes has more reasons than that to believe that Iran is still the tournament favorite.

Gilas lost to Iran in the FIBA Asia Men's Championship Finals and the FIBA Asia Cup semifinals by a wide margin.

Reyes is wary of their tendency to give up the ball too many times. He noted that they had 20 turnovers against India that allowed them to come within striking distance.

"Hindi lang medyo marami, talagang naparami and that's a cause of concern. If we do that against Iran, talo tayo," Reyes said.

After Iran hammered India, a Korean reporter asked Hamed Ehadadi on his thoughts on the Korean national team but he was rebuffed.

"I'm only concerned about Gilas," was Hadadi's curt reply.

Reyes, however, refused to be swayed into a word war, saying that Hadadi could have meant that his focus is on Gilas because they are their next assignment and won't play Koreans in this round.

Adding fuel to the fire of their rivalry is the bold guarantee of Iran's star forward Nikah Bahrami that they will go all the way here in Incheon.

“We are going to win the Asian Games for the first time. Without a doubt, the Iranian basketball team will participate in the Asian Games to win the gold medal,” Bahrami told the Tehran Times.

Reyes doesn't want to make guarantees of his own.

"Let him guarantee. Talk is cheap. You will not hear anyone from our team talk that way because that's not our style. If he wants to talk that way and it doesn't happen, he's going to look like a fool. That's his problem," Reyes said.

Gilas-Iran is scheduled at 2 p.m. Thursday here (1 p.m. Manila time) and will be aired live on TV5.