By Kurt Lozano
Gilas Pilipinas overpowered Japan with an explosive fourth quarter to take the semifinals of the FIBA Asia Cup 81-70 Friday, Oct. 3. With their victory, the Philippine national men’s basketball team has another chance for the gold medal as they face China in the grand finals.
Paving the way for a Gilas victory was the trio of Andrey Blatche, Jayson Castro, and Dondon Hontiveros. Andray Blatche continued to deliver with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Jayson Castro posted 20 points and 7 assists. Dondon Hontiveros however surprised everyone as he rained down 6 three-pointers to chip in 18 points.
The semifinals was a close contest from the get go, with the Japanese taking full advantage of mistakes by Gilas during the first half. Andrey Blatche drew first blood and scored the first series of points for Gilas, but Japanese hotshot Makoto Hiejima led his team to barely take the first quarter, 16-17, from the Filipinos.
Hiejima and Joji Takeuchi opened up the second quarter by extending Japan’s lead by 5 points, but solid plays from Castro and Blatche allowed Gilas to keep pace. While Gilas thinned Japan’s lead down to just one point at 29-30 with only three minutes remaining, three-point plays by Hiejima allowed Japan to retain their lead. Both teams continued to exchange shots until Hontiveros made his presence known by tying the game 37-37 with barely a minute remaining in the first half. As the quarter died down, Hiejima followed up after a missed three-pointer but Gilas responded in kind, ending the first half with a 39-all stalemate.
Japan opened the third quarter with another three-point play to which Gilas promptly responded with a three-pointer. While Gilas seemed to be pull ahead with the score at 50-44 at the 6 minute mark, Japan took it right back with a huge free throw disparity. While Gilas shot 6 out of 6 from the free throw line, the Japanese sank 24 out of 29 throughout the entire game. As the third quarter came to a close, the game remained fiercely contested with both teams tied at 54 points.
The semifinals was a close contest from the get go, with the Japanese taking full advantage of mistakes by Gilas during the first half. Andrey Blatche drew first blood and scored the first series of points for Gilas, but Japanese hotshot Makoto Hiejima led his team to barely take the first quarter, 16-17, from the Filipinos.
Hiejima and Joji Takeuchi opened up the second quarter by extending Japan’s lead by 5 points, but solid plays from Castro and Blatche allowed Gilas to keep pace. While Gilas thinned Japan’s lead down to just one point at 29-30 with only three minutes remaining, three-point plays by Hiejima allowed Japan to retain their lead. Both teams continued to exchange shots until Hontiveros made his presence known by tying the game 37-37 with barely a minute remaining in the first half. As the quarter died down, Hiejima followed up after a missed three-pointer but Gilas responded in kind, ending the first half with a 39-all stalemate.
Japan opened the third quarter with another three-point play to which Gilas promptly responded with a three-pointer. While Gilas seemed to be pull ahead with the score at 50-44 at the 6 minute mark, Japan took it right back with a huge free throw disparity. While Gilas shot 6 out of 6 from the free throw line, the Japanese sank 24 out of 29 throughout the entire game. As the third quarter came to a close, the game remained fiercely contested with both teams tied at 54 points.
A reinvigorated Gilas exploded into the fourth quarter by taking a five-point lead before the Japanese could retaliate. A three-pointer by Hontiveros and a triple free throw sink by Ranidel De Ocampo extended Gilas’ lead to 65-57 with 6 minutes left in the game. While Hiejima and Atsuya Ota tried to nip as much as they can off of Gilas’ lead, the exhausted Japanese failed to stop Hontiveros as he sunk another trey by the 3 minute mark. A three-point play by Ota nipped the lead down to 68-74 but one final three-pointer by Hontiveros sealed the deal as the last minutes of the game elapsed. With a resounding 81-70 victory over Japan, Gilas Pilipinas punched their ticket to the finals against an unbeaten China in its own turf.
The Japanese team showed it had guts and looked as if it could have taken the win at times, but just fell short during the last quarter. Nevertheless, Makoto Hiejima scored an impressive 28 points record – 22 of which were in the first half – while Joji Takeuchi posted 18 points and 16 rebounds.
By making it to the finals for the second straight time, Gilas Pilipinas cemented its position as one of the top contenders of Asian basketball. However, they will face their greatest challenge yet in the grand finals as they go head-to-head with a Chinese team headed by four 7-footers on Saturday. Meanwhile, Japan will battle Iran for third place. The Millennial Post
The Japanese team showed it had guts and looked as if it could have taken the win at times, but just fell short during the last quarter. Nevertheless, Makoto Hiejima scored an impressive 28 points record – 22 of which were in the first half – while Joji Takeuchi posted 18 points and 16 rebounds.
By making it to the finals for the second straight time, Gilas Pilipinas cemented its position as one of the top contenders of Asian basketball. However, they will face their greatest challenge yet in the grand finals as they go head-to-head with a Chinese team headed by four 7-footers on Saturday. Meanwhile, Japan will battle Iran for third place. The Millennial Post