In defeat, Gilas earns respect from France

Games Today (Mall of Asia Arena, Pasay City) 6:30 p.m. – Senegal vs Turkey 9 p.m. – New Zealand vs France Respect. That’s what Gilas Pilipinas gained from Tony Parker and other members of the French team following a tightly-contested match that saw France score a hard-earned 93-84 win at the start of the Manila leg of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) last Tuesday at the Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena in Pasay City. “They were pretty good, they were very aggressive, they tried to make stuff happen,” said Parker after surviving what could have been a huge upset by the Philippine national team. “They were very aggressive going to the basket and creating shots for their teammates. They played pretty well. They made it tough for us,” added the 6-foot-2 Parker. Tony Parker of France and the San Antonio Spurs, easily the most popular player in the Manila Olympic [...]