Gilas Pilipinas routs Shanghai five

Monday night saw Gilas Pilipinas subdue the Shanghai Sharks, 80-72, despite the error-riddled play by the Philippines’ national team in the China-Philippine Friendship Games, at SM Mall of Asia Arena, in Pasay City.
 
“These guys practised for just three days but they still did well,” Gilas coach Chot Reyes said, as quoted by the ‘Philippine Daily Inquirer’.
 
The national five committed 19 errors, most of which in the last period when the Sharks fought back from 19 points down.
 
The ball slipped through Marcus Douthit’s fingers many times, Gabe Norwood lost possession twice in the sidelines and Kevin Alas had some miscues at the backcourt.
 
The snipings of Meng Lingyuan and the inside presence of 7-foot-3 Zhang Zhaoxu brought the Sharks to life in the fourth period.
 
But the Gilas frontline held its ground against the towering Sharks, with 7-footer Greg Slaughter, 6-foot-11 Junmar Fajardo and 6-foot-9 Japeth Aguilar exceeding the expectations of coach Reyes.
 
“Nobody can block Junmar in the PBA [Philippine Basketball Association],” Reyes said. “Personally, I want to see how the future of Philippine basketball will fare against taller and tough opponents. I was very pleased because the three of them acquitted themselves very well.”
 
Reyes has barely three months to prepare Gilas Pilipinas for the Fiba Asia Championship, in Manila.
 
According to Yao Ming, Sharks’ owner and former superstar of the National Basketball Association (NBA), the Philippines will only qualify for the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro if it could bring China to its knees in the Fiba finals.
 
“I have to reconsider whether or not to give this suggestion: You have to beat Team China first,” Yao told sports scribes through an interpreter.
 
Yao, formerly with Houston Rockets, arrived in Manila on Saturday night for his team’s two-day Friendship Games against Gilas Pilipinas national team and PBA All-Star Selection squad.
 
China had clinched all but one continental seats since the 1984 Summer Games in Los Angeles, California. In 2008, Iran won the berth at the Beijing Olympics, although China was given an automatic Olympic slot as host-nation.
 
Scoreboard:
 
Gilas Pilipinas 80—David 14, Fajardo 11, Norwood 11, Aguilar 11, Lanete 10, Chan 9, Garcia 8, Douthit 2, Ganuelas 2, Slaughter 2, Alas 0, J. Pascual 0, R. Pascual 0.
 
Shanghai Sharks 72—Zhang 17, Lingyuan 14, Ligang 11, Yang 9, Sizhang 8, Laing 6, Yuan 3, Yang 2, Yi 2.
 
Quarterscores: 20-14, 43-30, 71-52, 80-72.


 

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