Gilas Pilipinas outruns, outguns taller Kazakhstan in final tuneup match before FIBA Asia Pacific Football Academyhe Philippine national men’s basketball team used its biggest strengths — speed and shooting — to take down a tall and athletic Kazakhstan side, 92-89, on Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. Jayson Castro sliced and diced his way to 20 points in just 18 minutes, while Jeff Chan waxed hot for 14 of his 20 points in the first half to lead the Gilas Pilipinas squad in its final tuneup match before the FIBA Asia Championship. But the victory came at a price for Gilas, who saw stalwarts Castro and Ranidel De Ocampo suffer ankle injuries during the game. “Hopefully they’re just slight sprains,” Philippine coach Chot Reyes said after the match. Coming off a miserable outing against a selection of PBA stars last Wednesday, Castro was sensational this time around, winning his duel against Kazakhstan’s naturalized point guard Jerry Johnson. He repeatedly used his quickness for acrobatic layups over the outstretched arms of the Kazakhstan big men, showcasing why he was touted as the Philippines’ biggest weapon in the FIBA Asia tournament. “He was the best player out there,” said Gilas coach Chot Reyes. But there was a scary moment late in the game, when Castro was fouled hard by Kazakh enforcer Dimitriy Klimov. The Talk ‘N Text stalwart crumpled to the floor holding his left ankle. Fans in the arena held their breath before Castro stood up and walked to the bench by himself. Jimmy Alapag came in to take two free throws for Castro, giving the Philippines an 88-87 lead. The Gilas trap forced Kazakhstan into a turnover, and Jeff Chan hit a three-pointer, his sixth of the game, in the ensuing possession to give the team a 91-87 lead with 55.2 seconds left in the match. Johnson, who finished with 17 points to lead Kazakhstan, hit a floater to cut the deficit to two points. Marcus Douthit drew a foul in the next play, splitting his free throws with 14.7 seconds left. Kazakhstan had one final chance to tie the match, but star forward Anton Ponomarev’s desperation three-pointer at the buzzer failed to hit the mark, allowing Gilas to escape with the victory. Strong side Reyes said the result showed the mettle of the Kazakhstan side. “In my books, one of the strongest ang Kazakhstan,” said Reyes. He noted that his choice not to join Group D — which drew questions from observers — was based on his knowledge about how good Kazakhstan was. The Gilas coach was particularly wary of Ponomarev, who showed his class, scoring 14 points in the first half. Despite towering at 6-foot-10, he displayed a great touch from the outside, making four three-pointers in the first period. “They were just hitting three-point shot after three-point shot the whole game,” said Reyes. But Ponomarev scored just two points in the second half, after Reyes assigned defensive stopper Marc Pingris on the Kazakhstan ace. The San Mig Coffee forward failed to score, but hounded Ponomarev all over the floor while coming up with crucial rebounds. The scores: Philippines 92 – Castro 20, Chan 20, Fonacier 14, Alapag 12, Douthit 9, Tenorio 5, Fajardo 5, Aguilar 5, David 2, Pingris 0, De Ocampo 0, Norwood 0, Belga 0. Kazakhstan 89 – Johnson 17, Ponomarev 16, Klimov 13, Murzagaliyev 12, M. Yevstigneyev 9, Zhigulin 7, Dvirnyy 7, Bondarovich 6, Yargaliyev 2, Sultanov 0, R. Yevstigneyev 0, Bazhin 0. Quarters: 26-22, 53-51, 76-70, 92-89 -InterAKTV
Posted on: Sat, 27 Jul 2013 02:11:09 +0000
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