Jones Cup: Smart Gilas Philippines five rips Malaysia

HSINCHUANG, Taiwan—Marcus Douthit and JV Casio spent the entire game cheering their teammates from the bench.

The Smart Gilas national team kept them fresh for the grind ahead and still demolished Malaysia, 86-68, Tuesday in a fight-marred William Jones Cup at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium here.

Chris Tui unloaded eight of his 14 points in the third and led four other Smart Gilas players in double figures as the Nationals notched their third win in four games to move a game away from securing a semifinal slot.

The Filipinos face unbeaten South Korea today with a victory providing the Nationals a better probability to snare the top spot in the Final Four come Saturday.

“Korea is a tough game for us and this is the reason why we rested some of our players,” said Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.

Casio joined the 6-foot-10 Douthit on the bench after straining his left knee against Jordan.

“We have to stop their (Koreans) shooters and transition plays. We’ll be forced to use Chris (Tiu) as backup point guard if Casio can’t play,” said Toroman.

The Koreans, who defeated Smart Gilas in the quarterfinals of the Guangzhou Asian Games last year, also trounced Fiba Asia champion Iran, 77-59, Monday night to remain unbeaten in three games.

Asi Taulava was thrown out with Malaysian center Yoong Jing Kwaan 7.4 seconds left in the third. The 6-foot-5 Kwaan grabbed Taulava’s crotch, sending “The Rock” sprawling on the floor.

Writhing in pain, Taulava got up, chased Kwaan and threw a couple of punches, one landing on the Malaysian’s cheeks, before the referees intervened and ejected both players.

“He grabbed me by the balls and pulled it up,” said the 6-foot-9 Taulava. “I would had never reacted that way. But it was like a punch and it was the worst feeling.”

Kwaan said through an interpreter that he was hit by a wayward elbow in the face before engaging Taulava.

With Korea remaining as the only tenacious stumbling block along the way, the Filipinos are now within sight of moving to the semifinals.

Smart Gilas takes on winless United Arab Emirates (0-4) tomorrow and Japan, a bunch of school kids, on Friday. A victory over Korea will guarantee the PH five a seat in the semis.

The legitimate Japan national team, which toppled Smart Gilas in the Asian Games and Jones Cup last year, is in the thick of training in South America.

Tiu scored eight points in the third, including a three-point play on a drive, that provided a 21-point cushion the Filipinos protected until the final horn.

With Chris Lutz, Mac Baracael, Marcio Lassiter and Mark Barroca on the firing end, Smart Gilas built double-digit leads on several ocassions but the Malaysians, determined to made life difficult for the Filipinos, kept on coming back.

Yeow Loong Ho and Chuan Chin Wee cut the Filipinos’ 10-point lead to a single basket and a Malaysian triple made it 34-37 before Tiu orchestrated the breakaway run. Malaysia fell to 0-4.

In the other match, Asghar Kardoust ripped through the United Arab Emirates defense with 23 points and nine rebounds to power Iran to a 84-55 victory, the defending champions’ second in four games.

Korea leaned on naturalized wingman Cameron Jarod Stevenson, who fired five three-pointers and finished with 27 points, on whipping the Iranians late Monday night.

Stevenson, whose Korean name is Tae Jong Moon, played for several European teams in the Euro league before Korea took him in as its naturalized player.

The scores:

PHILIPPINES 86—Tiu 14, Baracael 14, Lassiter 13, Aguilar 13, Lutz 12, Ababou 6, Barroca 5, Ballesteros 4, Hontiveros 3, Taulava 2.

MALAYSIA 68—Chee 15, Ng 9, Ong 8, Ho 6, Wee 5, Kuek 5, Ooi 4, Batumalai 4, Kwaan 4, Loh 4, Chin 2, Soo 2.

Quarters: 16-13, 37-34, 64-45, 86-68

June Navarro, Inquirer.net