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FIBA World Cup: Bolick on playing Serbia -- 'We're looking to win'

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Camille B. Naredo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2019/sports/09/02/20190902-robert-bolick-fiba.jpg?ext=.jpg"/><figcaption>Robert Bolick and Gilas Pilipinas play title favorite Serbia on Monday night, looking to gain back a measure of respect after losing to Italy Saturday. Game time is at 7:30 p.m. Fiba.basketball</figcaption></figure></div>FOSHAN, China -- Gilas Pilipinas guard Robert Bolick acknowledged that the national team was unable to give its best effort in its first game of the 2019 FIBA World Cup -- a 108-62 mauling against Italy last Saturday.Ahead of the game -- a &quot;make or break&quot; affair for the Philippines -- head coach Yeng Guiao had said that the national team will need to play its best game and hope that Italy struggles in order to have a chance at an upset.The exact opposite happened, however, as the Philippines absorbed a huge blow in the opening quarter and never got its bearings. &quot;Hindi namin nabigay masyado. Hindi pa namin nabigay nang maayos talaga,&quot; Bolick said when asked whether the Filipinos felt they gave their best against Italy.<ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://sports.abs-cbn.com/gilas/news/2019/09/01/fiba-rookiesa-inspired-play-positive-gilas-loss-60476">READ: Rookies’ inspired play only positive in Gilas loss</a></li></ul>Kiefer Ravena backed him up, saying: &quot;We kinda felt we didn&#x27;t (give our best) against Italy, that&#x27;s why most of us are really disappointed in ourselves.&quot;The subpar performance led to a sleepless night for most of the Gilas players, but it also toughened their resolve heading into their second game of the tournament -- a showdown against powerhouse Serbia on Monday night.Serbia figures to be an even tougher opponent than Italy, as it features four NBA players on its roster including Denver&#x27;s All-Star center, Nikola Jokic. In its first game, Serbia clobbered Angola, 105-59, while shooting 65% from the field including 13-of-20 on three-pointers. Thus, Gilas will once again be massive underdogs, but the team refuses to just accept defeat.&quot;We can&#x27;t get any lower than (the game against Italy),&quot; said Ravena. &quot;I&#x27;m really excited about the way we practiced tonight and the way we&#x27;re about to play against Serbia. So no matter what happens, we&#x27;re just gonna give it our best.&quot;Bolick added: &quot;Serbia is one of the best, so why not take them down? Bilog ang bola. As long as we play with heart, everybody can make an upset.&quot;&quot;Hindi kami pupunta dito bukas na, accept na namin &#x27;yung talo, na idikit lang namin. No, we&#x27;re looking to win, we have to give our best,&quot; he stressed.As long as the Filipinos are able to do that, Bolick said Gilas can and will accept the result. What&#x27;s most important for him is that the team gives its best effort -- the exact thing they were unable to do against Italy.&quot;Basta,&quot; he said. &quot;We will play with heart (Monday), kahit sino ipasok ni coach Yeng, you just have to be ready and play our hearts out.&quot;&quot;This is for our country,&quot; he stressed. &quot;Ang daming pumunta dito na Pilipino. So just gonna show to them na we are fighting, no matter what.&quot;Bolick also wants to put up a better performance for the sake of the Gilas coaches, who bore the brunt of the criticism for the defeat to Italy. &quot;They (coaches) spent hours and days trying to give us a good game plan, and then we did not execute, and then mostly sasabihin, it&#x27;s because of the coaches,&quot; the PBA rookie guard said. &quot;No, it&#x27;s us, it&#x27;s the players, we&#x27;re the guys playing, and wala,&quot; Bolick added. &quot;Some days that you&#x27;re off, and &#x27;yun &#x27;yung gusto naming hindi mangyari noong araw na &#x27;yun, but it happened. It happens, so you gotta move on.&quot;&quot;I think this game determines how we play, Filipino basketball. We have to play for our countrymen, and for our coaches as well. Our coaches deserve a good basketball game from us.&quot;If Gilas manages to pull off the momentous upset against the fourth-ranked team in the world, then the Filipinos will remain in the hunt for a spot in the second round of the tournament.But if Serbia deals them another defeat, the Philippines is relegated to the classification phase of the World Cup.For more sports coverage, visit the <a href="http://sports.abs-cbn.com">ABS-CBN Sports website</a>.

Gilas Pilipinas plays title favorite Serbia on Monday night, looking to gain back a measure of respect after losing to Italy Saturday. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.

Gilas Pilipinas plays title favorite Serbia on Monday night, looking to gain back a measure of respect after losing to Italy Saturday. Game time is at 7:30 p.m.

FIBA World Cup: Bolick on playing Serbia -- 'We're looking to win'

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FIBA World Cup: Bolick on playing Serbia -- 'We're looking to win'

Camille B. Naredo,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 02, 2019 03:04 PM PHT

|

Updated September 02, 2019 03:59 PM PHT

Read More:

FIBA

2019 FIBA World Cup

Gilas Pilipinas

Robert Bolick

Kiefer Ravena

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