GILAS AIMS TO FINISH 5TH IN ASIAD BASKETBALL
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 30 Aug 2018
Already assured of an improved finish better than seventh the last time around, the Philippine basketball team tries to improve further to fifth when it faces Syria in its final outing in basketball tournament Friday at the GBK Hall in Jakarta.
Winners, 113-80, the last time they played in the quarterfinal round, coach Yeng Guiao?s hastily formed side battles a team with an unknown strength and playing style, battles the Syrians at 7:30 p.m. (Mania Time) looking for a third win that would be enough to end up two ranks where their predecessors? landed four years ago in Incheon, South Korea.
?I think we?re just starting to blend well already. It?s too late already for a medal finish but we?ll be consoled getting fifth place considering what our boys went through just to get here,? Guiao told this writer in a telephone interview Thursday.
Except for Syria?s 76-66 triumph over Indonesia in the other Final Eight encounter, Yeng was yet to be informed of the scouting report from his assistant coaches as to how the Syrians play.
Media accounts of the Syria-Indonesia tussle only mentioned that Tarek Aljabi finished with 33 points as the Syrians outscored the hosts, 26-9, in the second quarter for a 52-24 halftime lead.
Indonesia tried to mount a comeback in the fourth after scoring 25 points in he period to no avail.
?Well, hindi naman siguro mas tatangkad pa at mas malaki pa ang mga ito sa China at Korea (I don? believe they?re taller and heftier than China and Korea,? Guiao said rather jestingly.
What the Philippine mentor was sure of is that his Fil-foreign reinforcements Jordan Carlson and Christians Stanhardinger will continue improving on their games.
?For one Jordan had just tasted victory wearing the national uniform and he was very proud of it,? Guiao said, adding he was still not sure fielding in Rain or Shine?s James Yap who was suffering from an ankle injury since the Filipinos? loss to Korea.
?James is injured. He has an ankle injury. We didn?t want to aggravate it. It has been there sincte the Korea game so we didn?t want to risk it,? he explained.
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