Angola's Bruno Fernando talks about win vs. Gilas, AJ Edu

Let’s talk about Bruno.

Big man Bruno Fernando made life tough for Gilas Pilipinas on Monday as he provided solid presence for Angola.

Fernando finished with 14 points, seven rebounds, a steal, and a block, enough to help his team eke out an 80-70 win against Gilas Pilipinas and boost their chances for a slot in the second round of the competition.

“It was special, man. It was special. Obviously we need it," Fernando, an Atlanta Hawks center described after getting a World Cup win in front of a crowd of 12,784 fans. 

"That’s something we were aware of coming into the game, knowing that they’re gonna have the home court advantage. They’re gonna play tough with a lot of guys that could play basketball,” he added.

Despite being on a winning high, Fernando did not forget to credit Gilas’ performance.

“Great players, very well-coached. Just gotta give them more credit. They played a hell of a game,” said Fernando.

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes tried different big man combinations to impede Angola’s frontline,  but little success was achieved. Angola amassed a total of 43 rebounds and 20 came from relentlessly crashing the offensive glass. 

On the Philippines’ side, one name stood out for Fernando.

“Edu, tough guy. He made it tough for me all night,” he said.

This is the second time Edu took on an NBA player after going up against Karl-Anthony Towns, and, so far, he has impressed both Fernando and Towns.

“He made it tough for me all night.”

Angola and Atlanta Hawks big man Bruno Fernando credits AJ Edu’s defense on him. @gmasportsph@gmanews#FIBAWC pic.twitter.com/gSxx8nCMM3

— Martin Javier (@martindjavier) August 27, 2023

This edition of the World Cup marks Fernando’s return to the national team after a four-year hiatus, and now he has a chance to prolong their stay in Manila.

However, he’s hardly doing it alone.

Five Angolan players scored in double figures against the Philippines led by Gerson Goncalves’ 17 points and Gerson Domingos’ 15. Both made timely triples that halted a late-game Gilas uprising which Fernando praised.

“They’re the engine. They get us going," he added.

In 2019, Fernando made history by being the first Angolan player to be selected in the NBA draft. 

However, things were not that easy for him as he played for three different teams with limited action over the past four years. In his first four seasons, he averaged only 3.4 points per game in 9.5 minutes of play.

When asked about his performance for the Angolan squad, he simply attributed it to opportunity.

“I get more opportunity. That’s all there is, you know? Basketball is all about opportunity.”

Angola will next phase the Dominican Republic on Tuesday at 4 pm at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The game will be crucial as this will be a factor in the Group A standings for the next round of the tournament.

With the trust of his coaches and the support of an entire nation, it will not be surprising that more will talk about Bruno in the days to come.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News