What Tony Parker thinks of Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro

Gilas Pilipinas fell short of an upset against France in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Tuesday night, but the Philippine national team earned the respect of Les Bleus after a gallant stand against the world's fifth-ranked basketball country.

Point guards Terrence Romeo and Jayson Castro fearlessly showcased their wares against NBA All-Star Tony Parker, who gave the Gilas backcourt a lot of praise in the post-game press conference.

"They were pretty good," said the San Antonio Spurs guard. "They tried to make stuff happen and they were very aggressive going to the basket and creating shots for their teammates. They played pretty well."

Romeo finished with 19 points off the bench for the Philippine side, including a momentum-swinging three-pointer from the right corner that cut the deficit to 79-72 late in the fourth.

Castro, meanwhile, showed the speed that earned him the nickname "The Blur" with drives to the basket to finish with 14 points.

Parker also congratulated Gilas for putting up a fight against a powerhouse team like France, especially with their hot 28-18 start in the opening frame.

"They had a great game. They were on fire in the first half, they played with a lot of energy," said the French man, who finished with 21 points, six assists, and four rebounds.

"We have to give a lot of credit to them. They can be proud about their team," he added. "They made it tough on us. We had to dig deep to try to get the W."

Gilas cut the lead to 84-81 late in the fourth, but France maintained their composure and pulled away for good in the endgame. --JST, GMA News