CJ Perez 'incredible' despite late lapse in Angola loss, says Gilas Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao

FOSHAN, China - Gilas Pilipinas had the chance to close out Angola at the end of regulation, having possession of the ball with 5.2 seconds left and the game tied 73-all.

CJ Perez caught the ball at the top of the key, but he appeared to be unaware of the clock and lingered for a few precious seconds before finally launching a desperation three that missed wide.

Gilas head coach Yeng Guiao called it a “rookie mistake” borne out of the 25-year-old’s inexperience at the FIBA World Cup.

“He held the ball too long and he was kind of hesitant at that point,” he said about Perez. “For one reason or another, medyo nag-freeze si CJ.”

Still, he lauded the performance of Perez, whose clutch three-pointer in the previous possession took the game to overtime.

The guard finished with 17 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in 28 minutes, delivering another brilliant performance for the third straight game.

“He’s incredible. CJ played like a veteran, actually better than the veterans, some veterans,” Guiao said.

Perez, meanwhile, admitted that he should have attacked and driven hard as time expired in that last possession of the regulation period.

Guiao said the guard was probably thinking that there was a timeout like in the PBA, but added that Perez will adjust to the FIBA environment as he plays more games in this level.

“We haven’t seen his full potential yet. We’ll see a lot more of CJ Perez,” he said. —JST, GMA News