YENG Guiao was humble in victory. The Team Pilipinas coach admitted Andray Blatche was the major factor in changing the country's fortune to earn a return trip to the FIBA World Cup in China this August.
In one of the finest performances yet in the just concluded World Cup qualifiers, Blatche came through with 41 points, 13 rebounds, four steals, and two block shots as the Filipino exacted payback against Kazakhstan Sunday night, 93-75, to secure one of the two remaining berths in Asia for the world championship set August 31 to Sept. 15.
In the post-game interview that followed the emotional win, Guiao conceded the 6-foot-11 naturalized player was the 'game-changer' for Team Pilipinas.
"We didn't have Andray Blatche in Manila. I think that was one big factor," he said, referring to the Filipinos' Nov. 30 outing against Kazakhstan which they lost, 92-88.
Blatche wouldn't have been eligible to play for the national team that time as he still has to serve the last of his three-game FIBA suspension. Although the former NBA player was already qualified to suit up against Iran the following game during the fifth window of the tournament, Guiao opted to leave him out of the line-up.
Team Pilipinas also went down against the visiting Iranians, 78-70, and on danger of missing the trip to the World Cup.
That's when the decision was arrived to bring Blatche back. And the 32-year-old New York native didn't disappoint.
He had 17 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks in an 84-46 rout of Qatar in Doha.
But the best was yet to come.
Blatche was on fire right from the opening tip against Kazakhstan, which raced to a 5-0 lead. The naturalized played finished with 17 points in the first quarter including three three-pointers as Team Pilipinas took a 22-21 lead at the end of the period.
"He just took over the game and that's what he did for us," Guiao stressed. "If it weren't for Andray, (we) would have been behind by 15 points and it could have been very hard for us to comeback."
Blatche went into foul trouble late in the third period, causing some concern on the part of the coaching staff.
"Andray carried us on his shoulders in the first half. He was on fire. I was kind of worried that they guys were going to over-rely on him," said Guiao. "But in the second half, the rest of the guys stepped up."
For Blatche though, everything was a team effort.
"It was a very emotional game for us," he said. "We knew what's at stake for us. It's either we win or go home. I feel like we competed from the jump until the end."
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