GILAS PILIPINAS FINALLY BEATS IRAN
By Maloney L. Samaco
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 29 Sep 2015
Gilas Pilipinas men?s basketball team made the basketball-crazy nation rejoice when they humbled defending champion Iran, 87-73, in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship Monday in Changsha, China.
Andray Blatche and Hamed Haddadi met for the first time in an international outing as the naturalized Filipino center handcuffed the Iranian behemoth to a measly 10-point output.
They have completely recovered from that heart-breaking opening-day loss to FIBA first-timer Palestine, 75-73. That defeat surprised the whole basketball country but served as a wake up call for the Philippine team.
?I don?t think he sees players like Andray enough. He doesn?t see somebody of that size and strength and smarts. And I think that the more Hamed would play against Andray, the better he?ll get but he doesn?t get that opportunity,? said Philippine coach Tab Baldwin as quoted by interaksyon.
?It may have been cause for Hamed?s pause a little bit today and be a little bit tentative and Andray is just that kind of player. He?s smart, he?s skilled and he?s big and strong. That presents problems for Hamed.?
The Iranians had their biggest lead at the half by nine points, 43-34. They widened the lead to 10 points in the third quarter, 47-37.
Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo and Calvin Abueva sparked the Gilas rally that placed the Filipino team on the driver's seat at the end of third quarter, 65-50.
They widened the lead in the fourth quarter as the inspired Filipinos battled their Asian tormentors who buried the opposing team by an average of 49 points before the loss.
Castro, a member of FIBA Asia mythical five, led the Gilas assault with 26 points including three assists and three steals. Blatche added 18 points and seven boards.
Romeo and Abueva contributed 15 and 13, respectively, scoring the crucial baskets when the Philippine team needed them most.
Nikkhah Bahrami topscored for Iran with 21 points covering up for Haddadi's anemic performance.
?If they play the way they did today, they?re a very good team. (Andray) Blatche gives them a dimension that pretty much nobody else has,? Iran coach Dirk Bauermann said as quoted by interaksyon.
Iran toppled Gilas Pilipinas before our own countrymen during the FIBA Asia 2013 and repeated the win during the recently concluded William Jones Cup 2015.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Maloney L. Samaco.
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