Gilas Pilipinas thrashes Guam 87-46 in FIBA World Cup qualifiers debut

Gilas Pilipinas defeated Guam with a commanding 87-46 victory in their FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers debut.

Jericho Cruz, playing for Guam, was a key player in the first half, scoring 15 points and keeping Guam within striking distance.

Gilas coach Tim Cone highlighted the need to step up defense on Cruz during halftime, a strategy that proved effective.

Scottie Thompson, Cruz's PBA rival, was instrumental in implementing the defensive adjustments against him.

Justin Brownlee led the scoring for Gilas with 22 points, contributing significantly to the dominant second-half performance.

Coach Cone noted that the familiarity between PBA players playing against each other was not a new challenge for Scottie Thompson.