DOHA, Qatar -- Andray Blatche proved to be the difference in Gilas Pilipinas' crucial 84-46 romp of Qatar that kept the Philippines' FIBA World Cup bid alive.
Blatche delivered a dominant performance in his return to action with the Philippine team, finishing on the verge of a triple triple-double with 17 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two assists, and two blocks.
"If I almost have a triple-double, it's because I have great teammates who were knocking down the shots," said Blatche. "I just feel good that I was able to play my game and help my team win."
The naturalized big man's mere presence allowed Gilas to execute better on both ends of the floor, avoid a sluggish start, and break away completely in the second half with a barrage of 3-point shots.
"[Blatche] is the game-changer," said Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao. "He helped us out offensively, defensively. He controlled the momentum, he controlled the situations in the game. I guess his game just speaks for itself."
The Philippine team waxed hot from downtown and recorded its best shooting percentage in the qualifiers as Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee, and Jayson Castro conspired with Blatche to convert 15 out of 30 attempts from the 3-point area.
"Andray just created a lot of opportunities for us on offense and defense. He changed the whole team," said Guiao. "He draws a lot of the attention of the defense that creates the openings, that's why we shot a lot of 3-point shots and we got the good looks - something we did not have when he wasn't playing."
Blatche was still suspended when Gilas last faced Qatar at home in September. It was a tough game where the Philippines had to overcome a double-digit deficit before coming away with a 92-81 victory.
With Blatche back in action, Gilas managed to dominate from the get-go and sweep its head-to-head matchup with Qatar. Blatche credited the whole team's defensive intensity that led to the easy win.
"Each guy gave it all on defense. We all knew our offense was going to flow because we were well-prepared. Our most concern was bringing energy to the defense and rebounding, which we did great," he said.
Blatche knows that the job is far from over. Assured of at least a fourth-place finish in Group F, Gilas needs to beat Kazakhstan to hike its win-loss record to 7-5 and solidify its chances of advancing to the World Cup.
"We're not done yet, we have one more game in Kazakhstan that we have to take care of," said Blatche. "I'm just hoping that we continue on to the next game with the same efforts and the same focus."