MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas was largely unbothered in its first three games in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers, winning them by an average margin of 28.7 points.
Then came eternal tormentor South Korea.
The Philippines clawed back from a 17-point deficit and needed late-game heroics from point guard SJ Belangel to take an 81-78 win in what point guard Dwight Ramos described as a wake-up call.
“It was a wake-up call for me. Just the physicality of their players. They really pressured me and I just don’t think I was ready for that,” said Ramos Wednesday at Angeles University Foundation.
Despite standing at 6-foot-4, Ramos was surprised when South Korea employed such physi…
Keep on reading: Physicality in South Korea game ‘wake up call’ for Dwight Ramos