Gilas Pilipinas vs. Netherlands: Score, Recap for 2015 Toyota Four Nations Cup

The Netherlands opened the 2015 Toyota Four Nations Cup with an 89-62 victory over the Philippines on Thursday at Saku Suurhall Arena in Tallinn, Estonia.

Roeland Schaftenaar led the way for the Oranje with 15 points and seven rebounds. Henk Norel (12) and Charlon Kloof (11) also reached double figures in scoring for the Dutch. Calvin Abueva paced the losing side with 12 points, while Andray Blatche chipped in seven points and 12 rebounds.

Team	1st	2nd	3rd	4th	Total
Netherlands	21	18	29	21	89
Philippines	20	18	4	20	62

The Gilas Pilipinas are using the tournament as a warm-up event for the FIBA Asia Championship, which gets underway in late September. They finished second in the high-profile event two years ago, losing to Iran in the championship game.

Veteran guard Jimmy Alapag talked about the importance of the games as they continue the preparation process, as noted by Richard Dy of the Philippine Star.

"Trips away are always a big help," Alapag said. "We're going to be exposed for the first time, as a team to a pretty tough competition. And we need that. It will give us a great gauge for where we are at this point with roughly five weeks before the FIBA Asia."

The Philippines showcased a balanced offensive attack at the outset, building a lead as large as eight points in the opening half. The team's defense struggled to protect the rim, however, especially when Blatche wasn't on the floor.

That allowed the Netherlands to mount a comeback. The Oranje shot 52 percent from two-point range and got to the free-throw line 16 times to lead by one at halftime.

ABS-CBN Sports provided the details:

The Dutch momentum continued after the break, as they opened the third quarter on an 11-0 run. Even once the Philippines got on the board in the second half, they looked absolutely lost on the defensive end, leading to several early buckets for the European squad.

By the time the dust settled at the end of the third, the Netherlands had dominated the quarter to the tune of a 29-4 score, giving the Oranje a 26-point edge.

The Gilas Pilipinas did make a brief surge early in the fourth with a 9-1 run. The Netherlands quickly regained control, however, and saw out the victory to move atop the tournament table. The other participants, Estonia and Iceland, play later Thursday.

Unfamiliarity could have played a role in the loss for the Philippines, as Carlo Pamintuan of Slam PH pointed out:

Dy forecasts improvement moving forward:

"

Positive takeaways on @gilasarmy loss...Abueva showed what he can really do, Andray is not even in d best shape yet so expect him to improve

— Richard Dy (@richava) August 20, 2015"

Full credit to the Netherlands for the win. The Oranje seized the opportunity to take control of the game early in the third quarter and never looked back. They took full advantage of some lackluster post defense from the Philippines.

The Gilas Pilipinas must work out those issues at the defensive end of the court before the Asia Championship gets started next month. The only silver lining from the loss is the number of players who found a way to contribute offensively.

Both teams return to action Friday. The Netherlands will take on Iceland, while the Philippines look to rebound against the host nation of Estonia.