Parker, France down Gilas Pilipinas

President Rodrigo Duterte during the ceremonial toss of the ball.

San Antonio Spurs and France's Tony Parker drives around Ranidel de Ocampo of Gilas Pilipinas. (PBA Media Bureau photos)

MANILA: Tony Parker showed just why he is a global superstar.
And Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin summed it up so well that he practically told the story of why the Filipinos fell against France at the start Tuesday night of the Manila Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“Tony Parker was a handful,” Baldwin told international scribes after France prevailed, 93-84 over Team Philippines to push the Filipinos against the wall on a night newly-installed President Rodrigo Duterte came to watch at ringside at the Mall of Asia Arena.
“He (Parker) simply took over the game. He read our defensive schemes very well,” Baldwin went on after Parker shot 21 points, had four rebounds and six assists in holding the team together and leading the French back from a lethargic start.
Team Philippines got the hot start it needed against the Frenchmen but simply fell short, losing a 10-point first quarter lead practically as quickly as it was established as France got on its way toward topping Group B action.
Parker got all the support he needed, with Nando de Colo shooting 27 points and two others tossing in 10 each as France put the Filipinos into a KO match with New Zealand Wednesday night.
Andray Blatche scored the first five points and finished with 14 in the first quarter alone for the Filipinos, who tallied 30 in the opening frame but was shellshocked in the second when France came out a far better team.
Gilas closed out the first sitting on a 30-22 lead but was held to just 13 points in the second as France played much tighter defense and was a lot sharper on the other end.
Parker was at the forefront of France’s offense and a drive off Terrence Romeo with 30 seconds remaining before halftime shoved the French to a 43-41 lead they never lost the rest of the way.
“We knew we needed a good start and we got it,” Baldwin said while scratching his cleanly-shaven pate. “But France doesn’t panic. They pounded us (in the second quarter) and Tony Parker really took over.”
“Once we lost the lead, we were left searching for answers,” Baldwin said.
France pulled out the narrow win even after sitting out Nicolas Batum, who is restricted from playing until he signs a $120 million, five-year contract extension with the Charlotte Hornets in the NBA.
Batum can sign the deal on July 7 and could be available when the French battle New Zealand.
Blatche went on to finish with 21 points, looking fatigued in the fourth, while Romeo shot 19 and electrified the mammoth crowd with some dribbling skills while being matched up with the San Antonio Spurs superstar Parker.
“We need to take care of the ball better,” Jason Castro, who scored 14 points, said. “We had too many turnovers and lost composure in the second quarter when France made a comeback.”
Gilas Pilipinas has no choice but to win the 9 p.m. contest against New Zealand on Wednesday night or pack its bags and resume its quest to return to the Olympics for another time.
A win coupled by a France victory over the Tall Blacks of New Zealand on Thursday would put the Philippines in the Final Four as the Filipinos will qualify as the No. 2 team and will face No. 1 in the other group for a place in the championship match.
Canada won the battle of the top-rated teams in the other group, bringing down hulking Turkey, 77-69, in the first game after Corey Joseph fired 21 points.
The Canadians go for top seeding also Wednesday against Senegal at 6:30 p.m.
“We accomplished what we set out to do today,” Joseph, who plays for Toronto in the NBA, said. “We wanted to win our first game and get a rhythm right away.”