MANILA, Philippines -- "Just wanted to bring in our Justin Brownlee." Tim Cone could not have put it better.
With Gilas Pilipinas missing its naturalized star, Justin Brownlee, the national team needed someone to shoulder the offensive burden late against Jordan. CJ Perez answered the call.
Perez took over in the closing minutes of regulation and overtime, scoring 14 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter and the overtime period to help Gilas escape Jordan, 82-81, in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Window 4 at SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila on Friday.
Perez also set up Kevin Quiambao's game-winning 3-pointer with 13 seconds left, putting Gilas in position to complete a furious comeback after falling behind by as many as 18 points in the first quarter.
"CJ led the charge, and he was able to get to the rim and really change the tempo of the game," Cone said after the game. "He has impacted so many areas."
Perez repeatedly attacked the rim, forcing Jordan's defense to collapse and opening opportunities for the likes of Quiambao and Dwight Ramos from beyond the arc.
That ability to pressure the basket became especially valuable with Brownlee, who is still nursing a hamstring and leg injury, unavailable.
"It was a real function of him being able to get to the rim," Cone said.
"He got to the rim multiple times and the defense made a decision to really collapse on him so he couldn't get to the rim. So they really jumped into his driving lanes."
While Perez provided the offensive spark, Scottie Thompson supplied the defensive backbone.
His numbers hardly told the story, with Thompson finishing with just one point, six rebounds and one steal, but his fingerprints were all over Gilas' comeback.
When Jordan's Jalen Harris and Freddy Ibrahim began taking control, Thompson took on the challenge of slowing them down.
His defense helped Gilas regain its footing, coupled with the efforts of Perez, Ramos, and AJ Edu, to fuel the comeback.
"People kind of give Scottie a hard time because he's not a great shooter, you know, he's not a true point guard, he'll make a turnover here or there," Cone said. "But they dismiss all the other stuff that he does. We call it 'Scottie things'."
"He does all the Scottie things. He gets the rebounds. He gets loose balls. He defends. He knows how to get teams into execution. And he will make big shots or get to the rim when he needs to."
Harris, Jordan's leading scorer and primary offensive weapon, scored 14 points in the first half but was held to just five in the second half and overtime, with Thompson taking the primary defensive assignment.
Harris finished the game with a 6-of-22 shooting clip but 4-of-8 from the 3-point line.
Ibrahim experienced a similar drop-off.
After torching Gilas for 15 points in the opening half, he managed only seven after the break as Thompson, Perez and Ramos took turns defending him in the perimeter.
"I got to say that Scottie and CJ and Dwight did a great job defending Jalen Harris and Ibrahim, who was lights out in the first half, but we got him under control in the second," Cone said.
Thompson's defensive impact was even more significant considering he had only recently returned from a severe left hamstring injury that sidelined him for nearly two months.
He and Perez began the game on the bench, but their entry helped change the complexion of the contest.
Gilas trailed 26-8 early before Perez and Thompson ignited the turnaround. The Philippines eventually outscored Jordan in fastbreak points, 18-5, while forcing Jordan's main scorers into difficult off-the-dribble jumpshots.
Jordan head coach Luis Guil acknowledged that problem.
"I said to my players: It's impossible to win the game with pull-ups full-time," Guil said. "It's impossible because at the end you reduce the percentage of it going in."
The comeback kept Gilas' World Cup hopes alive, but, for Cone, the job is far from finished.
The win improved the Philippines record to 3-4 in Group E, while Jordan dropped to 5-2. Gilas now turns its attention to Iran, which pushed New Zealand to the brink before falling, 93-91, on at the Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
Iran is led by 22-year-old guard Seyed Mahdi Jafari, who finished with 14 points on 6-of-10 shooting alongside six assists against New Zealand.
Jafari could provide similar problems for Gilas in the backcourt, considering his knack for facilitating his teammates, especially his frontcourt players.
For Gilas, the formula will once again demand contributions from everyone, and most especially the old reliables.
"We got to take care of our own business," Cone said. "This is like halftime for us. We haven't won anything. We need to win the whole game. Right now, it's just halftime. We got another game to play."
