Gilas pounds hapless Uzbekistan for second win
Inspired by its mammoth triumph over Lebanon on Saturday, Smart Gilas Pilipinas went to work early and hacked out a blowout 85-50 win against Uzbekistan in the 4th FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan Sunday.
This was the second straight victory for the national team after losing to China on opening day. The team takes on lightweight Macau on Monday before taking the next two days off.
Jeff Chan finally shone for Gilas II in this tournament after an impressive showing in the Jones Cup last month, as he top scored with 20 points, including four triples. Jared Dillinger also came out roaring against the Uzbeks with 10 markers, while fresh recruit Matt Rosser Ganuelas debuted here in Tokyo with eight points.
The mismatch allowed Coach Chot Reyes the luxury of resting Marcus Douthit for most of the game, using the naturalized American for only 14 minutes. Douthit played almost the entire game against Lebanon and finished with 25 points and 21 rebounds.
From a close 20-16 count with still 3:30 in the first quarter, Gilas tightened its defensive screws and shut down Uzbekistan for over 14 minutes to build a 37-16 lead late in the second period. The Nationals had eight steals in the first half and forced their opponents to 12 turnovers to lead at halftime, 39-21.
Cheered on by hundreds of Filipinos that trooped to the game, Gilas continued its onslaught in the third canto, establishing a 35-point edge at 60-25, with still 2:27 remaining, using a fluid running game.
But the biggest lead came at 3:56 in the fourth, at 79-44, completed by a three-point bomb from Jay-Ar Reyes from the corner.
The Philippines unloaded a total of eight treys to compliment its remarkable running game all throughout.
Gilas plays winless Macau tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. and has a good chance of securing a spot in the top two of Group A. Four teams per group will advance to the crossover quarterfinals. Group B is composed of Iran, Chinese-Taipei, Qatar, India and host Japan.
At stake in this tournament is an outright entry to the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, which will be awarded to the eventual champion. The second to fourth placers will gain for their respective sub-zones an additional berth in the Asian Championship next year.
Gilas boxscores:
Chan 20, Dillinger 10, Douthit 9, Ganuelas 8, Fonacier 7, David 7, Reyes 7, Villanueva 6, De Ocampo 5, Norwood 4, Tenorio 2, Thoss 0.
