Staying confident: Carl Tamayo plays best game for Gilas in rout of Hong Kong

MANILA, Philippines – Always reminded by his veterans to stay confident, Carl Tamayo just submitted his finest game yet for Gilas Pilipinas.

Coming off a quiet 2-point performance in the Philippines’ breakthrough win versus New Zealand last Thursday, November 21, Tamayo made his presence felt and led the Filipinos in scoring in their 93-54 rout of Hong Kong in the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday, November 24. 

The 6-foot-8 Tamayo poured in a game-high 16 points on an efficient 7-of-14 shooting in over 17 minutes of action as Gilas Pilipinas moved another step closer to securing an outright Asia Cup berth after staying undefeated in Group B with a 4-0 record.

“Our veterans always [tell] us to be confident every time we step on the floor,” said Tamayo.

“We had a chance to play, but we tried to put our talents in the system of coach Tim (Cone), which we’re trying. I just took some shots that I made and I’m just very happy for it.”

Tamayo, who only played a total of 6 minutes and 52 seconds against New Zealand, came out with guns blazing when he stepped on the floor versus Hong Kong as he supplied 9 of his 16 points in the second quarter, highlighted by a personal 6-0 run to give Gilas Pilipinas a 41-25 edge with 5 minutes to go in the first half. 

The former UP Fighting Maroons star Tamayo flaunted his deep offensive bag, knocking down a pair of three-pointers, while also powering his way inside the paint for tough buckets, much to the delight of Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone.

“He got out, he hit a three-point shot, he went to the basket, he had a post-up, he had an offensive rebound that [were] all scores, and that’s what we’re looking for our young guys,” said Cone of the 21-year-old Tamayo.

“We want to use their total game, and that’s the case with him, that’s the case with KQ (Kevin Quiambao), and even Mason (Amos).”

“I won’t stop saying this, they are the superstars of this team down the road and they’re still learning and feeling their way,” added Cone of his young players Tamayo, Quiambao, and Amos.

After completing the two-game home sweep of the second window, Tamayo and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas now return to their respective ball clubs before joining forces for the third and final window in February 2025, where they will look to reassert their mastery over Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.

Tamayo currently plays for the Changwon LG Sakers in the Korean Basketball League (KBL) and is averaging 10.6 points on 39.4% shooting, 5.5 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and 1.3 steals in 10 games. –Rappler.com