Australia look to Paris Olympics after FIBA World Cup exit

OKINAWA, Japan -- Australia head coach Brian Goorjian said preparation for the Paris Olympics "starts now" after the Boomers were eliminated from the Basketball World Cup by a Luka Doncic-inspired Slovenia on Friday.

Australia lost 91-80 as the second round got under way in Okinawa in southern Japan, sending them out of the tournament due to Germany's win over Georgia in Group K earlier in the day.

Australia had already clinched a qualifying spot at next year's Paris Olympics as the highest-placed Oceania team at the World Cup.

Goorjian immediately turned his thoughts towards the Games and said he was "excited at where this thing could go".

"It starts now, preparation for the Olympics," he said.

"We learned a lot and I think we're in the process of change in style of play, both offensively and defensively."

Australia won bronze at the pandemic-delayed Tokyo Olympics two years ago, beating Slovenia to reach the podium.

Goorjian has blooded a host of young players at the World Cup being hosted in Japan, the Philippines and Indonesia, including 20-year-old Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Josh Giddey.

Giddey was the game's top scorer against Slovenia with 25 points, and Goorjian said "the youth of this thing is for real".

"Some big decisions are ahead but I like what's in front of me," he said.

Australia struggled to cope with Doncic, who had 19 points for Slovenia.

The Dallas Mavericks superstar got into foul trouble but still gave Australia problems in almost 29 minutes on the floor.

Australia again made a slow start to the game and Goorjian said his team had to "play through some mistakes before it clicks in".

"When you get in a game like this and there's a lot of pressure, who you are comes out," he said.

"We're a step off it right now."

Agence France-Presse

US gather pace at FIBA World Cup on day of historic wins

MANILA -- The United States gathered momentum with a win over Greece at the FIBA World Cup on Monday, while there were historic first victories for debutants South Sudan and Cape Verde.

Defending champions Spain, Serbia and a Luka Doncic-inspired Slovenia picked up their second wins of the tournament, while New Zealand and Cote d'Ivoire got off the mark.

The United States faced a Greece side missing Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in their second game in Manila, and they wasted little time in showing their quality in a 109-81 win.

"Our thought process every game is to wear the opponent down," said head coach Steve Kerr.

"We're 12-deep on our roster and we're just trying to stay solid on every possession and really put pressure on the opponent."

Austin Reaves led the United States in scoring with 15 points, followed by Jalen Brunson and Anthony Edwards with 13 each.

The Americans were rewarded with impressive performances throughout the lineup, with the hard-working Josh Hart pulling down 11 rebounds.

"He has the ability to do things on the court as every other NBA player does, but he takes pride in always doing the little things on a nightly basis," Brunson said of Hart, his teammate with the New York Knicks.

"He brings that toughness, that effort, and he's a different man. He goes out there and he's relentless."

Antetokounmpo withdrew from Greece's squad on the eve of the tournament, saying he was not ready to play after undergoing knee surgery last month.

The Greeks can still advance to the next round if they win their final group game against New Zealand, who beat Jordan 95-87 in overtime earlier in the day.

"If we want to have a possibility to win the game against New Zealand, we've got to be more physical," said Greece head coach Dimitris Itoudis.

"For them and for us, it's a final."

- Historic wins -

Spain also made it two wins out of two, beating Brazil 96-78, while elsewhere in Group G, Cote d'Ivoire beat Iran 71-69.

In Group B, debutants South Sudan stunned China 89-69 for their first ever World Cup win.

The world's number 62-ranked team scored 15 three-pointers on the way to victory in Manila, putting them right in the mix for a place in the next round.

South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey said his players "stuck to the game plan from the opening tip to the closing horn".

"They were resilient, persistent, they had laser-like focus, they followed the game plan and competed at the highest level," he said.

"They played with emotion, they played with fight, they played with fire. We competed all 40 minutes and we came out with the victory."

The result left China needing to beat Puerto Rico in their final group game on Wednesday and hoping that other results go their way to avoid a first-round exit.

China head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic accused his players of lacking "aggressiveness".

"In moments of difficulty, you have to find your spirit to respond on the floor," he said.

"It cannot be everything on paper -- you have to find it. Those moments are making winning teams."

Serbia beat Puerto Rico 94-77 to stay in control at the top of Group B.

In Group F, Cape Verde also pulled off their first World Cup win, beating Venezuela 81-75.

The smallest country ever to appear at the World Cup were down by 10 points early in the fourth quarter but took the lead with 57 seconds remaining.

"This is a historical moment for us," said Cape Verde head coach Emanuel Trovoada.

"It's a small nation with a big heart."

Elsewhere in Group F, Doncic scored 34 points and had 10 rebounds and 6 assists as Slovenia beat Georgia 88-67.

Agence France-Presse

South Sudan savor first-ever FIBA World Cup win

MANILA -- South Sudan head coach Royal Ivey said his team "played with fire" after stunning China to claim their first-ever win at the Basketball World Cup on Monday.

The world's number 62-ranked team scored 15 three-point shots on their way to an 89-69 victory in Manila, keeping their hopes of a second-round place alive in their World Cup debut.

South Sudan became an independent country in 2011 and played their first official international basketball game only six years ago.

But Ivey said their win over world number 27-ranked China was fully deserved, as his players "stuck to the game plan from the opening tip to the closing horn".

"They were resilient, persistent, they had laser-like focus, they followed the game plan and competed at the highest level," he said.

"They played with emotion, they played with fight, they played with fire. We competed all 40 minutes and we came out with the victory."

South Sudan led for most of their opening game at the tournament against Puerto Rico on Saturday before losing 101-96 in overtime.

They also made a strong start against China but they kept their noses in front this time, outscoring their opponents by 10 points in the final quarter.

Carlik Jones, who scored 35 points against Puerto Rico, had 21 against China to lead South Sudan in scoring.

Forward Nuni Omot said the win was "a dream come true".

"To be able to do this in front of our fans, people watching back at home, it's been a very emotional day for everyone, getting our first ever World Cup win," he said.

South Sudan can qualify for the next stage if they beat Serbia in their final group game on Wednesday.

Ivey said his team were "not satisfied" with only one win and vowed to give their all.

"My thing is: no pressure," he said.

"My guys play free, play together, they stay together whether we're up 20 or down 20, we don't flinch.

"We're going to come out there and give it our best shot."

Ivey also paid tribute to Luol Deng, the former NBA player who has masterminded South Sudan's rise in his role as president of the country's basketball federation.

"Luol Deng is the heart and soul of all of this," Ivey said of Deng, who played in the NBA for 15 years before retiring in 2019.

"Without Luol, I wouldn't be sitting here right now.

"He had a great vision, I entrusted in his vision and it all came together."

Agence France-Presse

Learn from the world's top basketball coaches in online clinics

The World Association of Basketball Coaches (WABC) is providing an opportunity to learn from some of the best coaches in the world, as it makes available a selection of videos from its extensive collection.

These feature coaching clinics will be streamed on the WABC's Facebook channel, twice a week for 25 weeks.

The clinics are presented by outstanding coaches with experience in the Olympic Games, FIBA Basketball World Cup, NBA, WNBA, Youth World Cups, and NBA/FIBA Basketball Without Borders.

"It is important to offer support and keep our basketball coaching community connected in every corner of the world during this challenging period of the COVID-19 pandemic," said WABC president Patrick Hunt. 

"I hope that these feature selection of coaching clinics will not only assist to further your coaching expertise but are also offered as a gesture of support during these challenging times. The WABC is with you all," he added.

Week 1 will feature "Spacing and Timing" by former San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Ettore Messina, and "Spurs Philosophy System Basics" by Spurs coach Gregg Popovich. 

More WABC clinics are also available on the official FIBA YouTube channel.

Here is the schedule of the first 10 weeks of the clinics:

Week 1
1. May 5, 14:00 (CET) “Spacing & Timing” with Coach Ettore Messina
2. May 7, 14:00 (CET) “Spurs Philosophy System Basics” with Coach Gregg Popovich

Week 2
1. May 12, 14:00 (CET) “1-3-1 Zone Defense” with Coach Lucas Mondelo
2. May 14, 14:00 (CET) “Single Tag Offense & Defense” with Coach Igor Kokoskov

Week 3
1. May 19, 14:00 (CET) “Develop Players' Decision Making” with Coach Allison McNeill
2. May 21, 14:00 (CET) “Golden State Warriors' Cutting Drills and Transition Defense” with Coach Ron Adams

Week 4
1. May 26, 14:00 (CET) “Defensive Transition” with Coach Sergio Scariolo
2. May 28, 14:00 (CET) “Cutthroat Defense Drill” with Coach Brett Brown

Week 5
1. June 2, 14:00 (CET) “Building the Half-Court Offense” with Don Showalter
2. June 4, 14:00 (CET) “Offensive Tendencies in European Basketball” with Coach Pablo Laso

Week 6
1. June 9, 14:00 (CET) “Transition Defense” with Coach Svetislav Pesic
2. June 11, 14:00 (CET) “Modern Basketball” with Coach John Calipari

Week 7
1. June 16, 14:00 (CET) “Defensive Principles” with Coach Kenny Atkinson
2. June 18, 14:00 (CET) “Drills to Develop Ball Screen Offense” with Coach Paul Henare

Week 8
1. June 23, 14:00 (CET) “Drills to Develop Team Defense” with Coach Jim Boylen
2. June 25, 14:00 (CET) “Drills for Transition Defense” with Coach Andrej Lemanis

Week 9
1. June 30, 14:00 (CET) “Passing and Catching the Ball” with Coach Patrick Mutombo
2. July 2, 14:00 (CET) “Screening The Zone Defense & Motion Offense With No Screens” with Coach Patrick Hunt

Week 10
1. July 7, 14:00 (CET) “Shooting” with Coach Rick Carlisle
2. July 9, 14:00 (CET) “Inside Shooting” with Coach Juan Antonio Orenga

news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: MVP Rubio says World Cup winners Spain 'had biggest heart'

BEIJING -- Basketball World Cup MVP Ricky Rubio paid emotional tribute to his late mother and his "family" of team-mates after a ruthless Spain saw off Argentina to win the title on Sunday.

The 28-year-old Phoenix Suns point guard was once more instrumental for the Spaniards who brushed aside Argentina 95-75 in the final in Beijing.

He had a team-best 20 points and was named Most Valuable Player of the competition.

It is Spain's second World Cup title.

"We made history and we are really proud of that. We had a great tournament," said Rubio, who averaged 16.4 points, six assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.5 steals per game.

"Just amazing how the tournament has been us as a team. You can tell -- we were the team with the biggest heart and we showed it tonight and during the tournament.

"We feel like this will go down as a memory for us as a family, and that is bigger than the World Cup.

"It's a family for life.

"This tournament is going to follow me for life."

Rubio said that his mother, who died three years ago, had inspired him.

"I know nobody loved me more. Even now she drives me every day, even though she's not here," he said.

Spain's victorious coach Sergio Scariolo, an assistant at NBA champions the Toronto Raptors, said that Rubio had made a "triple A improvement" in recent years.

"A couple of steps more and he'll be a Hall of Fame player," said the Italian.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Mills could lead Boomers to title, says Pierce after U.S. loss

BEIJING - Australia point guard Patty Mills' performances at the basketball World Cup have helped propel his team into a hot favorite for the title after the United States were knocked out by France, according to NBA great Paul Pierce.

The Boomers advanced to their first World Cup semi-final with an 82-70 victory over the Czech Republic with Mills scoring 24 points while adding six assists and four rebounds.

"Australia is certainly playing really (well)," Pierce told ESPN. "Patty Mills is the perfect player for these types of games.

"He's a three point-shooter and been playing for a number of years," Pierce said. "They should be favourite."

The Boomers play Spain, who beat them in the playoff for the bronze medal at the Rio Olympics, in the last four.

Argentina, who beat 2015 runners-up Serbia, will meet France, who ended the United States' 13-year and 58-game unbeaten run in tournament play, in Dongguan.

The loss by the Americans, who had won the last two tournaments, was greeted with some surprise, although not entirely unexpected in the United States.

Many of the top NBA players, like LeBron James, James Harden and Steph Curry, were in a wider squad of players nominated for consideration for the World Cup and next year's Olympics in Tokyo, but chose to miss the current tournament in China.

The absence of the game's top players had affected the team, who struggled offensively and were a little too small to match up against other sides' big men, according to ESPN'S Brian Windhorst.

"To win, America needs more of its best," Windhorst wrote.

"It had been 13 years since Team USA didn't win a gold medal, and the importance and the honour has slipped," he said.

"America's top players have to consider their plans for next summer."

The advent of more international players in the NBA and the raising of standards in other leagues was also a factor and indicated the U.S. could not be expected to just turn up and win a global tournament, according to The Ringer's Dan Devine.

"It's worth remembering that the last three Olympic teams featuring those All-Star names still had to sweat against international opponents with lesser NBA-caliber talent, but much more cohesive rosters," Devine wrote on the website, which was founded by sports writer Bill Simmons.

Despite the loss likely to leave a "bitter taste in the mouths of American basketball fans", Sports Illustrated's Michael Shapiro wrote there was no need to panic ahead of the Olympics.

"Just one All-NBA player (Kemba Walker) joined the 2019 FIBA squad," Shapiro wrote. "This version of Team USA will bear no resemblance to the squad that will play in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics."

(Reporting by Greg Stutchbury in Wellington; Editing by Darren Schuettler)

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA World Cup: Italy improves to 2-0, routs Angola

FOSHAN, China -- Italy made it two wins in a row in the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup after defeating Angola, 92-61, in Group D on Monday at the Foshan International Sports and Cultural Center here. 

The Italians were coming off a comfortable 108-62 demolition of the Philippines last Saturday night, and preserved its perfect group round record by cruising to another victory.

Angola was able to stay close to Italy in the early goings, but San Antonio’s Marco Belinelli helped his team pull away, 25-11, at the end of the first frame. 

Triples from Belinelli and Jeff Brooks in the second quarter padded their lead, and the best efforts of Angola’s Leonel Paulo were not enough to get his team to catch up.

A loss by the Philippines to Serbia in the second game of the day will assure the Italians of a spot in the second round of the tournament.

Angola, meanwhile, dropped to 0-2 ahead of its game against the Philippines on Wednesday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Canada's World Cup hopes get shot in the arm from Nurse

WASHINGTON -- Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse had barely finished celebrating the team's first NBA title in June when he took on his next formidable challenge -- guiding Canada in the Basketball World Cup.

After just two months on the job the 52-year-old American is hoping to mastermind a surprise by the Canadians when the tournament starts August 31 in China.

Nurse's task is made more demanding, however, because Canada have been placed in a "Group of Death" also containing Senegal, Lithuania and Australia. 

Canada, who will be outsiders to triumph at the World Cup, finished 3-2 in a five-game exhibition tour in Australia, having split two home games against Nigeria.

Following an 84-68 defeat to World Cup holders the United States on Monday in Sydney, Nurse said: "I've learned a lot about them (the players).

"I'm a new coach (for this team) and they're still trying to learn me, I think, and we've made a lot of progress.

"I think our guys have made a lot of strides, play hard, have chemistry."

Nurse won't have the American Kawhi Leonard on his Canada bench, as he did when the Raptors dethroned the Golden State Warriors in the NBA Finals.

He will also have to do without Canada's top young player, the 19-year-old NY Knicks forward RJ Barrett, who was a late withdrawal.

But the Canadians have talent and, crucially, a respected leader with international experience.

Nurse was an assistant on the British team for the 2012 London Olympics, and a coach in the British Basketball League for 11 seasons.

He guided championship squads with the Birmingham Bullets in 1996 and Manchester Giants in 2000. He took the BBL Coach of the Year award in 2000 and 2004.

After a return to coaching US NBA developmental clubs, Nurse spent five seasons as a Raptors assistant before taking charge in 2018.

He was just the ninth rookie coach in NBA history to lead a team to the title and the Canadians will be hoping that he can inspire something similar in the national team.

Nurse will also be in position to guide Canada at next year's Tokyo Olympics.

He refused to press the panic button after Monday's loss to the USA, who are chasing a third World Cup title in a row.

"You don't play great every night," he said.

"We just flush this one away and get back to what we're doing." 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Walker leads US to easy win over Australia in World Cup warm-up

MELBOURNE -- Boston guard Kemba Walker dazzled with 23 points as the United States ramped up preparations for the defense of their World Cup crown with an impressive 102-86 victory over Australia in a warm-up game Thursday.

Myles Turner added 15 points with 14 rebounds while Donovan Mitchell scored 13 with three assists to build on their recent victory over world number two Spain en-route to China for the tournament that tips off on August 31.

Chris Goulding led Australia with 19 points off the bench, along with San Antonio Spurs' Patty Mills, who had two rebounds and three assists in front of more than 50,000 fans at Melbourne's Marvel Stadium.

"I'm one of the leaders of this team so I just try to do my best for my teammates," said Walker, who was appointed captain for the game.

"I'm super happy to be here. I want to inspire the young kids coming up."

The five-time world champions, ranked number one in the world by international governing body FIBA, started on a 6-0 run before Mills got Australia on the board, with the Americans ending the first quarter 22-20 in front.

They raced to an 11 point advantage before Goulding drained back-to-back threes and Mills hit from deep just before the buzzer to trim the margin to just one point, 44-43, at the half-way mark.

But Team USA then went on a 10-0 spree, reeling off a trio of three-pointers, to assert their authority, finishing three-quarter time comfortably ahead 76-61 before closing it out.

"We are looking to build and grow," said Australia's Mills. "The World Cup is where we want to peak and this was a good hit out for us."

Coach Gregg Popovich's USA squad -- which needs to be trimmed to 12 from the current 13 -- head to the World Cup as favorites despite missing a host of top NBA stars.

LeBron James, James Harden, Anthony Davis and Kawhi Leonard all opted out, while others such as Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker are injured, leaving a depleted, but still talented, line-up who have not had much match time together.

While Australia, widely seen as a medal contender, boasts a handful of NBA stars, including Utah Jazz's Joe Ingles and Mills, they too have had to deal with withdrawals.

Philadelphia 76s' Jonah Bolden pulled out this week, joining Ben Simmons and Thon Maker (NBA commitments), Ryan Broekhoff (birth of his child) and Dante Exum (injury) as no-shows .

The two teams play each other again in Melbourne on Saturday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

FIBA: Tucker leaves Team USA due to ankle injury

Houston Rockets forward P.J. Tucker is the latest to leave Team USA, doing so Friday because of a minor left ankle sprain suffered in practice Thursday.

He will return to Houston and prepare for Rockets' training camp.

Tucker is the second player to leave due to injury since Team USA held its first organized scrimmage last week in Las Vegas. Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry withdrew on Monday due to his surgically repaired left thumb.

Team USA was set to test itself against Spain on Friday night in Anaheim, Calif., before heading to Australia for three more exhibition games in advance of the FIBA World Cup, which begins Aug. 31 in China.

Tucker, 34, averaged 7.3 points and 5.8 rebounds while playing in all 82 games for the Rockets for the second consecutive season.

The two withdrawals leave Team USA with 14 players competing for spots on the 12-man roster -- which doesn't have to be finalized until Aug. 29. The remaining participants:

Guards -- De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento; Joe Harris, Brooklyn; Donovan Mitchell, Utah; Marcus Smart, Boston; Kemba Walker, Boston; Derrick White, San Antonio.

Forwards -- Harrison Barnes, Sacramento; Jaylen Brown, Boston; Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers; Khris Middleton, Milwaukee; Jayson Tatum, Boston.

Centers -- Brook Lopez, Milwaukee; Mason Plumlee, Denver; Myles Turner, Indiana.

The 32-team World Cup is scheduled for Aug. 31-Sept. 15. Team USA plays its first game on Sept. 1 against the Czech Republic in Shanghai.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Kobe Paras to lead Team PH in FIBA 3x3

MANILA, Philippines – A Philippine team headed by UCLA-commit Kobe Paras will go up against powerhouse squads in the group stage of the 2015 FIBA 3x3 Under-18 World Championships on June 4-7 in Debrecen, Hungary.

Paras will team up with Richard Escoto, Michael Nieto and Paolo Rivero to represent the country in the tournament.

Team Philippines is in Pool A along with hosts Hungary, traditional powerhouses Russia and Poland, as well as Kazakhstan and Uruguay.

Paras made a name for himself in the Dunk Contest of the 2013 FIBA 3x3 U18 competition in Jakarta, when he famously dunked over his teammates and a motorcycle to take home the trophy.

The 24 men's teams are divided into four pools, based on the FIBA 3x3 Federation ranking, according the tournament website.

Defending champion Argentina is in Pool D along with Spain, the United States, Georgia, Indonesia, and Puerto Rico.

Pool B is composed of: Andorra, Germany, Romania, Egypt, Lithuania, and Guatemala, while Pool C is composed of: Brazil, New Zealand, Turkey, Estonia, France, and Vietnam.

Aside from the 3x3 competition itself, there will also be a dunk, shoot-out, and skills contest.

Team Philippines will starts its campaign on June 4 against Poland.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Gilas gave us a lesson in intensity, says Qatar coach

MANILA, Philippines – The Qatar national team had reason to feel good about themselves after they scored nine straight points in the final minutes of the first quarter that allowed them to tie Gilas Pilipinas, 20-20.

But they were stunned in the second period when the Filipinos found their stroke from the outside and outscored them, 27-9, to enter the halftime with a 47-29 lead that Qatar would not be able to overcome.

“The first quarter, I think we finished 20-20, it was equal,” said Qatar’s Yasseen Musa after the game. “But the second quarter, we couldn’t get back on defense. The defense and the offense were so terrible.”

Gilas Pilipinas would go on to hand Qatar their first loss of the competition, 80-70, and coach Thomas Wisman was visibly disappointed with his squad's performance after the game.

“Congratulations to the Philippine team,” Wisman said. “They deserved to win tonight, and they gave us a lesson in 40-minute intensity.”

“It only takes one quarter of great intensity that they had in the second quarter that we didn’t match to make a difference in the game,” he added. “It’s a lesson that we have to take.”

Wisman said they tried to slow the pace to counter Gilas’ advantage in speed, but it didn’t work out in their favor, especially in the second period.

“Our second quarter was unacceptable at this level. It was a 27-9 quarter, and you’re not gonna win ball games when you let that happen,” he said.

Musa rued the breakdown of their offense in the second period, noting that they “didn’t share the ball.”

“The ball was not moving side to side and (we made) a lot of one-on-one decisions. The point guards made the difference for the Philippine national team. They hit four three-point shots, a couple of lay-ups, and that made the difference,” he said.

Wisman took heart in his team’s late fightback, as they cut the lead to seven points in the final quarter before the Filipinos put the game away through the free throw line.

“I was happy with how we fought back. We stayed at the task, came after them and showed some character, but we gotta take a lesson about intensity with this game,” he said.

Musa, meanwhile, said the loss was a “wake-up call” for the erstwhile unbeaten Qatar team.

“I think we need this loss, this is a wake-up call for us. It’s good to lose in the game in the first round or second round, and not to lose in the knockout games,” he said.

“We still have a chance to finish first in our group. If we beat Taiwan by 10 points or 11 points, we still have a chance,” he added.

“We have 14 hours to come back and play the next game, and we have to bring our A-game tomorrow.”

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Taipei loss hurts Gilas chances in KO stage

MANILA, Philipppines – Aside from wounded pride, the heartbreaking loss to Chinese Taipei on Saturday night opened up the possibility of facing tall odds in the quarterfinal round.

Gilas Pilipinas wound up with a 2-1 record and will face Japan, Qatar and Hong Kong in the next round in that order starting Monday.

“Second place in our group doesn’t mean anything. What’s important is the placing after the next round,” Gilas coach Chot Reyes told reporters after Saturday night’s loss.

But the odds are now stacked against them. They will need to sweep those three assignments and hope that Chinese Taipei falls to have a chance at top spot.

The top team in their group will meet the No. 4 team of the other group in the knockout quarterfinal match that will likely be Kazakhstan since Iran, China and Korea are shoo-ins to clinch the top three. But that relatively lighter assignment in the knockout stages is now bleak with the loss last night.

“Yes, we’re very aware of that possibility [to face China, Iran or Korea at the start of the knockout stages],” Reyes added.

Still feeling the heat of the loss, the outspoken Gilas coach was not in the mood to answer a question from Taiwanese media when asked about their earlier choice of joining Chinese Taipei in Group A instead of Group D.

“I’m sick and tired of that question of Group A or Group D. If we’ve gone to Group D then we lost to Kazakhstan then we couldn’t even go to the quarterfinals,” said a visibly irked Reyes.

“If Kazakhstan had beaten us in Group D, we go to second round against China, Iran and Korea then we might not even go to the quarterfinals. My point is to get to the quarterfinals first then whoever we play there, we play,” Reyes pointed out to the Taiwanese reporter. “It doesn’t matter who.”

But in all likelihood, the margin of error is now zero for Gilas Pilipinas entering the second round.

Whether they like it or not, Gilas now needs to go through the giants in their quest to get back in the World Championship. And they will need a strong support from the crowd even bigger and louder than last night to have a chance.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

China bounces back, routs Malaysia by 91 points

MANILA, Philippines – Defending champions China bounced back from their opening day loss by posting a 91-point rout of Malaysia, 113-22, in their second game in Group C of the 27th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship Friday at the Mall of Asia Arena.

China suffered a 63-59 setback against Korea to begin their title campaign on a poor note, but they righted the ship with a dominant performance against Malaysia.

The defending champions played without Yi Jianlian, who is still dealing with a hamstring injury, but four different players scored in double figures to power China.

Wang Zhelin topscored with 21 points, while veteran center Wang Zhizhi added 17 and Zhu Fangyu and Ailin Guo both scored 16 points.

China raced to a 31-2 first quarter lead, and never let Malaysia score more than 10 points in a quarter.

No player scored in double digits for Malaysia.

It was the second consecutive blowout loss for Malaysia, as they were demolished, 115-25, by Iran in their first game of the tournament yesterday.

China shot 59% from the field, while Malaysia converted only eight of their 44 field goal attempts (18%). Malaysia also turned the ball over 33 times, leading to 43 turnover points by China.

China notched 27 assists on their 45 field goals, and controlled the boards, 41-23.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com