Sun, 08/09/2009 - 20:59 — junior
TIANJIN – A day after the loss to South Korea, Powerade-Team Pilipinas coach Yeng Guiao expressed confidence Chinese-Taipei could be taken Monday when the next phase of the elimination in the 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship gets underway at the Tianjin gymnasium.
The 69-56 defeat at the hands of the South Koreans late Saturday left the Philippines with a second-best 2-1 record in Group A, raising concerns of the Nationals’ chances of making it to the knockout quarterfinals.
Guiao allayed those fears.
“I think this Taipei team is stronger than the one in the Jones Cup,” he said. “But I’m still confident and encouraged by the result of our first two games, including that loss to Korea, that we can pull it off.”
The Nationals face Chinese-Taipei at 4 p.m., Iran Tuesday at 11 a.m., and Kuwait Wednesday at 9 a.m. with a berth in the final eight at stake.
“We need to sustain a good shooting night,” Guiao said. “If we could do that, we have a strong chance against Taipei.”
Willie Miller, who has been remarkable, if out of place, at the point guard position with Jayjay Helterbrand slowed down by an old pulled hamstring muscle, said the shooting funk they fell into was beyond explanation.
“Yung isang tres ko, sabi ko ‘yari na’, kaso kinapos. Tapos yung sumunod, kumabig naman,” he said. “Nagkasabay-sabay na minalas. Di ko rin maipaliwanag. Pero hindi na siguro mauulit ‘yon.”
Six-foot-10 Japeth Aguilar, who missed the RP team’s last two games – including the all-important win over Japan Friday – because of a strained knee is 100 percent fine and raring to go.
“Talagang lalaro na ‘ko,” he said during a team lunch sponsored by PBA commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios and the league board of governors, led by incoming Board chairman Lito Alvarez of Burger King. “Maayos na pakiramdam ko.”
The son of former Northern Consolidated center Peter Aguilar will be badly needed if the outcome is to be different from the last time the two teams met.
Against practically the same lineup in the Jones Cup tournament, Aguilar had 10 points and nine rebounds and the Nationals still wound up losing, 86-77. They trailed, 30-14, after the first 10 minutes but outscored the Taiwanese, 24-12, in the third quarter only to lose steam in the end.
The RP team were waylaid by two factors: Taipei's torrid outside shooting (14 of 27 triples) and its own atrocious effort (3 of 21).
Focus for the RP defense should be Tien Lei, who had 21 points, with four 3-point shots, in front of the hometown crowd, Yang Ching Min and Yang Che Yi (14 points each), and Chen Tzu Wei, who took six attempts from beyond the arc and made two.
The Nationals controlled the boards then, 45-30, but that could change depending on Aguilar’s condition.
Arwind Santos was 0-for-6 in 3-point attempts that evening, Yap and Willie Miller 1-of-4 each, and Kerby Raymundo 0-for-3.
Chinese-Taipei advanced behind Group A leader Iran, bowing to the defending champion, 71-68, dumping Kuwait, 73-51, and crushing Uzbekistan, 102-78.
In other Day 4 matches, South Korea takes on Kuwait, Group C leader China faces United Arab Emirates, and Group D kingpin Jordan battles Kazakhstan as the next phase of the preliminary round begins. Group B pacesetter Iran meets Japan and Lebanon takes on Qatar.
Classification games at the Nankai University gym, the bracket the Philippines fell into after losing to Iran and Jordan in the first round in Tokushima, pit Sri Lanka against Uzbekistan and India versus Indonesia.
Apparently still euphoric from the conquest of Japan, the Nationals failed to sustain a second quarter comeback that brought it within striking distance from 13 points down.
Neither team shot well from the 3-point area in the first 20 minutes which ended with the South Koreans ahead, 35-25, their lowest halftime output so far.
But they found a way to compensate for their cold outside shooting, hitting 10 of 14 from within while the Nationals shot just 7 of 21.
Overall, the Philippines missed 23 three-pointers; South Korea 18.
Again it was Mick Pennisi, one of the heroes in the victory over Japan, who sparked the Nationals’ rally with a 3-point shot during a 7-0 first quarter run.
Two free throws by Cyrus Baguio cut the deficit to 17-16 early in the second quarter before the South Koreans regained their bearing, reverting to their tried-and-tested motion offense and drive-and-kick-out style instead of pounding the ball inside to 7-foot-3 Ha Seung-Jin.
A 10-2 surge, ignited and capped by three-point shots, gave the South Koreans a 45-35 lead at the half and the RP team was unable to get as close from there.
Other matches saw Jordan beating UAE, 79-67; Japan rebounding from two losses to wallop Sri Lanka, 148-45; Iran plastering Kuwait, 94-46; China overwhelming Qatar, 92-61; Kazakhstan edging India, 74-72 for the third slot in Group C, and Lebanon thumping Indonesia.
Meanwhile, Barrios and the league governors held a planning session Sunday, tackling, among others, the annual budget, building of a PBA coliseum, a one-game-a-day format, a women’s league, a bingo extravaganza at halftime, and a proposed partnership with a developmental league.
With Alvarez were Robert Non of Barangay Ginebra, Ely Capacio of San Miguel Beer, Rene Pardo of Purefoods, Atty. Mert Mondragon of Rain or Shine, Pato Gregorio of Smart Sports representing Ricky Vargas of Talk ‘N Text, Tony Chua of Barako Bull, and Buddy Encarnado of Sta. Lucia Realty.
JB Baylon of Coca-Cola was here much earlier as RP team manager.
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