Rain or Shine forward Beau Belga had his doubts before the start of the Asian Games in Indonesia. When the hastily formed rag-tag group was given the green light to represent the Philippines, it was still unclear which Elasto Painters would comprise the national team's core.
"Coach, am I going to be part of the team?" That was the question Belga had for his head coach Caloy Garcia.
Belga wanted to know. He wanted to be a part of it. But he had faced this kind of disappointment before, coming so close to being part of the Gilas squad that made the thrilling run in the 2013 FIBA Asia Games. But in the end, he just missed the cut. He was hoping that it would be different, five years later.
"He was worried that there were too many bigs, so he wouldn't be included," Garcia said. "But I told him that we were bringing six guys [from Rain or Shine]. I already knew the six guys, because me and Coach Yeng [Guiao] talked about it. So I told him not to worry, he was part of the team."
Making the team is one thing, but standing out on a Guiao-coached squad that relies on a share the wealth philosophy, is a different challenge. But against Qatar, Belga proved that he deserved to be on the biggest stage of Philippines basketball.
Belga was the spark that the Philippines needed after a sluggish start against Qatar. He also brought the swagger that helped them finish the job. In only 17 minutes of play, he contributed 11 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 blocks. He did most of his damage in the third quarter as the Philippines made it's comeback, bringing his trademark intensity and high basketball IQ to the table.
"Today's game, he proved to a lot of people, and the doubters why he's in the national team," Garcia said. "He played well tonight, he played hard, and that's what we need."
"We committed to play defense in the third quarter," Belga said after the 92-81 win versus Qatar. "We made easy baskets, got a lot of steals, and it became easier. Everyone got a lot of confidence -- even the second unit played tough defense."
Belga is no stranger to the Guiao brand of basketball. After all, the highlights of his career have been under the tutelage of the former Rain or Shine coach. It's that familiarity that has helped Belga became near-irreplaceable on this Gilas Pilipinas roster.
"He already knows Coach Yeng," Garcia said of Belga. "He already knows what Coach Yeng wants. The reason why we're here, the core of Rain or Shine, is because Coach Yeng wants a quicker way to process to the new players how to run things here."
Belga knew that Yeng wanted more intensity on defense, and to weather the storm. After all, it would be a minor miracle for Qatar to sustain their 54 percent shooting from long distance after the first half of action. Gilas couldn't control whether Qatar's shots would fall, but they could control their intensity on defense.
"We just struggled shooting in the first half, and we weren't defending," Belga said. "So we talked and said that in the third quarter it can't be this way if we want to win. And everybody stepped up."
Belga had the biggest impact on the team in the box score, as he finished with plus-23 for the team. Even before Gilas made it's third quarter run, he was out there competing for every possession. And when his teammates followed suit, Gilas ran away with the victory.
"I'm a witness to where he came from, how he worked so hard to develop his game," Guiao said. "How he missed out on some chances. And then again to prove himself today. Not just today, but even in the Asian Games.
"Beau is big horizontally, but he's not big vertically compared to other players. But he gets the job done. He will sacrifice his body to take on the responsibilities of a big man. I'm very proud of what he's made out of himself."
No one knows what the future holds for Gilas Pilipinas. From top to bottom, the team could look very different when the team continues their battles in November. But if there's one constant, it's that Guiao demands his players put the team above personal glory.
"If everyone is giving their best, and you're just relaxing, you shouldn't be playing," Belga said. "Losing on your homecourt is so difficult. If we had lost, the fans might have let us have it. So we gave everything we had to get the win today."