Coach Chot Reyes apologizes after Gilas' exit from FIBA Asia Cup

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes was quick to air his apologies to the community after the nationals made an early exit from the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup following a loss to Japan in the playoff for a quarterfinals berth on Tuesday night.

The Filipinos couldn't solve the Japanese puzzle, falling in a 102-81 loss to crash out of the Top 8 for the first time since 2007, when the national team wound up ninth in the tournament.

And Reyes said the outcome wasn't what they wanted, asking for the understanding from the Gilas faithful.

"Well, obviously the result is not what we wanted and we're very sorry that we've disappointed a lot of our countrymen, the Filipinos," said Reyes in the post-game press conference.

Reyes said the team they brought in was relatively young with all members playing in their first-ever FIBA Asia Cup, but underscored that the experience they got from the tourney is something that can help the program in the long run.

"But like I said, we brought a very young team here and the experience is just going to make them better. To be able to be exposed to the kind of intensity and level of play here at the Asia Cup," he added.

The players are not making any excuses, vowing to come back stronger in the next competitions.

"I'm still learning from them, this is all our first FIBA Asia Cup. But I'm not here to make excuses but I just told them, this is for the long haul," Kiefer Ravena, one of the team's veterans, said.

"...whether we play in Japan, we play in the PBA, we play in Korea or wherever our careers take us, this is something that we really embrace and take into heart. What happened here is something that will make us better."

—JMB, GMA News