Philippines puts up gallant stand versus China
The Philippines almost pulled a stunning upset on China last Tuesday in the men’s basketball competition of the 18th Asian Games.
Gilas Pilipinas was up three points 80-77 with a couple of minutes left in the game. But a final minute meltdown – including a couple of late-game fouls by Gilas that resulted in free throws for the Chinese and a turnover that led to a fastbreak layup – made it possible for China to escape with a two-point win.
In the dying seconds of the game with China up by two points, Paul Lee had a clean look at a three-pointer for the win, but it rattled out.
Even if they took a loss against the Chinese, Gilas gets to move on to the quarterfinals.
Jordan Clarkson’s Debut
A few days before game day, the talk of the town was Cleveland Cavaliers’ guard Jordan Clarkson, who was allowed by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to suit up for Gilas. Everyone, including non-Filipino basketball fans, was excited to see how the 6-foot-5 combo guard would perform against China. And with all eyes on him, Jordan Clarkson did not disappoint.
After struggling in the first half, Clarkson went supernova in the third quarter. He hit three straight triples to tie the game at 55-all. He finished with 28 points, eight rebounds, four assists, and two steals, nailing five threes in the game.
Jordan Clarkson wasn’t the only Gilas player who shined in the game against China. Christian Standhardinger contributed 18 points and eight rebounds. He also made the Chinese bigs work for their points by providing solid defense. Stanley Pringle was another player who showed up and was crucial to Gilas’ run in the fourth quarter. He finished with 14 points along with two assists, four rebounds, and two blocked shots.
On China’s side, Houston Rockets reserve Zhou Qi was the biggest problem – in all respects – for the Philippines. He gave the other team’s front court fits in the defensive end, finishing with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and seven blocks. It was noticeable, though, that he got most of his numbers in the first two quarters of the game, tallying 17 points, eight rebounds, and six blocks at halftime.
Wang Zhelin added 13 points, while Abudushalamu Abudurexiti and Zhao Rui scored 12 points and 11 points respectively.
Old Rivals
Gilas Pilipinas is scheduled to meet some old rivals in the quarterfinals of the Asian Games on Monday, August 27. This time, however, Korea seems to have more firepower with former PBA import and now naturalized player Ricardo Ratliffe in the lineup.
As many Filipino basketball fans know, the Koreans are a threat from downtown. But now, they can dish out a more balanced offensive game with a player like Ratliffe in the mix, who can provide reliable inside scoring.
On the other hand, Gilas also has their own key weapon, with Jordan Clarkson in the lineup. They have plenty of tools to get things done. Will they be able to pull off the victory?
