By REYNALD MAGALLON
It is certainly not easy to forget and just move forward from the infamous brawl that happened eight years ago.
And for sure, ugly memories of that widely publicized fight should come haunting both Gilas Pilipinas and Australia, now that they are crossing paths anew in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers on Sunday, March 1.
Like that brawl that put a taint to the relationship between the two, Gilas is hosting the Boomers in a contest crucial to their respective bids to make it to the World Cup, though , this time, set at the Mall of Asia Arena.
And while both sides have committed to put everything behind and focus on the game, some of the lingering tensions should still remain at least before the tip-off at 7:30 p.m. especially with some fanning the remaining embers of that brawl.
But for Gilas, its focus is on nothing but making sure to deliver a good game for the expected huge fans to see. For one, none except June Mar Fajardo, the one of the three players that the Nationals were left with in that contest, remains with the team.
Also, it is also not the first time that Australia and Gilas have shared the court since that incident, having played each other already in the FIBA Asia Cup with no traces of bad blood whatsoever.
More than the drama and anticipation surrounding the Boomers’ first visit since the 2018 brawl, Gilas is more concerned on bouncing back from the tough 69-66 loss to New Zealand.
“Hindi naman pwede (makuntento) sa muntik eh. Kailangan namin mag-move on for next game. Kailangan namin mag-focus, mag-move forward para sa Australia. Nakakalungkot na di kami nanalo pero may chance bumawi,” said CJ Perez who was one of the bright spots for Gilas in the loss.
Justin Brownlee is also prime for a big game after just putting up four points against the Tall Blacks. He, however, should remain a marked man against the Boomers who once held him to just 10 points when the Nationals got knocked out of contention by the Australians, 84-60, in the continental tiff.
Tanner Krebs and Elijah Pepper who exploded for 28 and 23 respectively in the Boomers 93-80 victory over Guam will be spearheading the team in their bid to go 4-0 in the qualifiers.
For its part, the Boomers are also only expecting a big, exciting crowd.
“The main thing is, we’re going into an environment that’s going to be incredibly fun to play in,” said Basketball Australia’s executive general manager Jason Smith in a report.
“You don’t get many opportunities in your career to play in front of a crowd like this. We’ve got a different kind of filter on it but the message was to be competitive and have fun and enjoy the experience,” he added.
