MANILA, Philippines -- Dwight Ramos may not be finding his shot, but Gilas Pilipinas is not losing faith in him.
Ramos finished with 16 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field, including 2-of-7 from 3-point range, alongside seven rebounds in Gilas' 68-56 win over Iran on Sunday, August 30, at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
It took him five attempts to finally get on the board, but when Ramos found his rhythm, his baskets mattered.
His biggest sequence came in the second quarter, when he turned a single possession into a five-point swing. Ramos knocked down two free throws, stole the ball on the ensuing possession, and buried a 3-pointer to give Gilas another much-needed spark.
Two days earlier against Jordan, Ramos had 14 points on 5-of-13 shooting.
The numbers, however, tell a less flattering story.
Ramos has yet to shoot better than 40% from the field in any FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers window this year.
His three-point shooting has been particularly rough, at just 16.7% on more than five attempts per game. Overall, he is shooting 36% from the field in the qualifiers.
With naturalized player Justin Brownlee unavailable in Window 4, Ramos took on an even larger offensive role as one of the team's primary perimeter initiators and pick-and-roll ballhandlers.
Gilas coach Tim Cone has not wavered in his trust in Ramos, playing him 37 minutes against Jordan and 29 minutes against Iran.
"Dwight played a really awesome game," Cone said after the win over Iran. "For him to come in and do the job the way he did was awesome."
Cone revealed that the 28-year-old guard woke up with flu-like symptoms and was vomiting before Sunday's game.
With Carl Tamayo already sidelined after suffering a Grade 2 ankle sprain against Jordan, Gilas was at risk of losing another important contributor.
The staff gave Ramos fluids 24 hours before tipoff and allowed him to get as much rest as possible.
"We were not even sure if Dwight was going to play [this game]," Cone said. "He woke up with flu symptoms, and we had to give him a drip to get him ready."
"He was not feeling well at all."
Ramos then suited up and kept firing, taking a team-high 15 shots, consistently attacking the rim and providing much-needed pressure against Iran's interior defense.
He also remained active defensively, collecting two steals and a block while providing help on the weak side to aid AJ Edu, Kai Sotto and June Mar Fajardo in their defensive rotations.
Ramos finished with a game-high plus-18, the best plus-minus mark among all Gilas players.
"We believed in each other," Ramos said after Gilas improved to 4-4 and revived its World Cup hopes. "So whoever is out there on the court, it looks like they're playing with confidence."
"Make or miss, it doesn't matter because as teammates, we're always behind them and we pick each other up."
That belief could become crucial in November. Gilas remains fifth in Group E but sits just one game behind fourth-place Jordan and Iran.
The Philippines will face Iran and Syria again in Window 5, setting up what could be the most important stretch of the qualifiers.
By then, Ramos may finally find his shooting stroke. But even if he does not, he remains one of Gilas' more reliable players.
"It feels good to start winning games again," said Ramos, one of the foundational pieces of the national team since the start of the decade. "We had a tough window, but it feels like we're getting our groove."
