FIBA Asia: Phils plays Japan Today
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 05 Aug 2013
MANILA (PNA) ? Host Philippines battles dangerous Japan to start climbing the long and winding road towards its goal of making its to the quarterfinal round in Group E of the 27th FIBA Asia Championship today at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The Filipinos and the Japanese, who both ended up seconds in Group A and Group B, respectively after the opening phase of the two-stage elimination, collide in the 8:30 p.m. main dish of a six-game schedule at the Pasay City hoophouse.
The Filipinos and the Japanese actually tote an identical 2-1 win-loss records in Group A and Group B, but will be carrying a 1-1 card going into this phase of qualifying, thus, needing to sweep their group to have a stronger chance advancing to the Final Eight.
Playing in Group E aside from the Philippines and Japan are Chinese-Taipei, which topped Group A, and Jordan. Top Group B qualifier Qatar and Hongkong.
No. 1 Group C Iran, South Korea and defending Champion China and no. 1 Group D qualifier Kazakhstan, Bahrain and India are playing in Group F.
Teams emerging with the best win-loss slates in Group E and Group F advance to the Final Four to dispute the taop two teams to fight it out for the championship and lead the three qualifiers that will represent Asia to the 2014 World Championship scheduled in Spain.
Today?s action start at 10:30 a.m. when Qatar and Jordan take each other with Iran and India facing each other at 12:45 p.m., Chinese Taipei battling Hongkong at 3 o?clock, Kazakstan opposing China at 5:45 and Korea taking on Bahrain in the 10:30 nightcap.
The Taiwanese foiled the Filipinos? bid to top Group A in the emotion-filled come-from-behind battle of Group A unbeaten squads Friday, 84-79 to enter this second phase of elimination unscathed at 2-0.
Trailing by 13 points, 55-68, at the end of the third quarter, the Taiwenese went to the three-point arc where they burned the hoiops five times, three of them in successive fashion to salvage the victory that led national head coach Chot Reyes inject politics into the otherwise sporting affair.
?I apologize t the Filipino overseas workers now in Taiwan for disappointing them in not winning this game,? Reyes declared during the post-game press conference inside the media room that caught those inside by surprise.
?To those Filipinos who have been victims of a a lot a abuse, I?m sorry. We could have won the game, but I erred in rotating my players as I should have,? he said, or something to that effect.
Reyes was referring to the killing of a Taiwanese fisherman at the West Philippine Sea by elements of the Philippine Coast Guard that resulted in controversy between peoples of the two countries.
The Taiwanese organizers of the annual Jones Cup which the Filipinos won last year even withdrew their invitation to the Philippines to defend their crown last July. There have been reports that Filipinos working in Taipei are being mistreated by their angry hosts.
Many believed that Reyes? statement could aggravate and add flame to the situation which was to have been already resolved.
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