AND they meet again.
The Philippines clashes with traditional nemesis South Korea in the knockout quarterfinals of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asia Cup in Beirut.
Gilas Pilipinas, unbeaten in three games in Group B, and the Koreans take the floor at 6:30 p.m. at the Nouhad Nawfal Stadium.
South Korea knocked Japan out, 81-68, early on Tuesday.
The Koreans loom as the Philippines’s biggest threat so far in the tournament. Gilas advanced with convincing victories over China (96-87) and Iraq (84-68), but almost fell to complacency against Qatar (80-74) to top Group B.
South Korea, on the other hand, had a rough start against host Lebanon (66-72), before finding the right rhythm with three straight wins over Kazakhstan (116-55), New Zealand (76-75) and the playoff-sealing triumph against Japan.
More than winning its assignment to enter the Final Four, the national team has a long history of heartbreaks and triumphs against the Koreans—making it a rather sentimental game not just for Gilas, but also for Filipinos.
The memory of the 2013 semifinals win against South Korea of the then Fiba Asia Championship in Manila still lingers in the mind of the brave Gilas crew and the legions of fans that witnessed the historic game.
The 86-79 victory sent the Philippines back to the World Cup stage after more than four decades of failures.
South Korea exacted revenge when it beat the cadet-powered national team last month, 83-72, in the 39th William Jones Cup.
The Koreans boast a tall lineup led by Sekeun Oh, who tops his team with 13.8 points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Gilas features an efficient roster from the three-man rotation in the center spot of Christian Standhardinger, Japeth Aguilar and Raymond Almazan, while Terrence Romeo and Jayson Castro are expected to provide the scoring load.
Standing behind the nationals are some 2,000 overseas Filipino workers who give the team an added energy in the international venue.
Image credits: fiba.com
1 comment
Gilas is inferior to Koreans in terms of rebounding, but with the inclusion of Junmar the situation will change. Japeth and Gabe defense will be significant in that matchup. Shooting of Wright, Romeo, Pogoy and Cruz are vital to that game, and rebounding tenacity of Standhardinger is a factor, then Castro, Jalalon and Almazan are crucial to Gilas win.