2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup news and updates

[Zurca]

Kawhi Leonard, Kyle Lowry to join NBA squad playing against Gilas Pilipinas in tuneup match

BASKETBALL fever is expected to hit fever pitch as NBA Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, veteran Toronto Raptors guard Kyle Lowry and incoming rookie Nick Johnson will be reinforcing the NBA all-stars in their tune-up game against Gilas Pilipinas dubbed the “PLDT Last Home Stand.”

Leonard, one of the San Antonio Spurs’ fast-rising stars, is expected to bring in his high-energy plays to an NBA All-Star cast that already includes former slamdunk champion Blake Griffin of the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets veteran forward Paul Pierce and Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard.

Top Gilas patron and PLDT big boss Manny V. Pangilinan made the announcement on his Twitter account @iamMVP.

“Excited to greet the 1st of July w news that Nick Johnson, Kyle Lowry, & FINALS MVP Kawhi Leonard joining us for PLDT's #GilasLastHOMEStand,” Pangilinan wrote.

The 6-foot-7 Leonard averaged 17.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 2.0 assists, while scorching the Miami Heat with his 57.9 percent shooting average from the three-point zone.

The benefit game against the NBA stars will serve as Gilas’ final tune-up matches at home before competing in the Fiba World Cup in Spain beginning on August 30.

Gilas is set to resume training on Tuesday night in preparation for two big international competitions — the Fiba World Cup in Spain from August 30 to September 14 and the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea from September 19 to October 4.

Gilas is set to leave on July 9 to play in the weeklong Fiba Asia Cup in Wuhan, China, where the Filipinos will try to improve on their fourth-place finish in the 2012 edition.

From SPIN.ph

[tonistork]

kailan kaya ilalabas ang final 12 ng Gilas?

sino kaya sa original member ang matatanggal?

[crashtest]

Matagal pa yata bago malalaman. nagbabalasa pa ng tao si Coach Chot. Magkaiba yata yung ipapadala sa FIBA World at FIBA Asia.


Sent from my LT26ii using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

Jay Washington eager to blend in as he looks forward to first overseas stint with Gilas

JAY Washington is happy to play his role for Gilas Pilipinas and has vowed to prove he is the right man for the job.

The latest addition to Gilas, the 6-foot-7 GlobalPort forward provided a glimpse of what he can contribute when he exploded for eight points, including back-to-back three-pointers, late in the national team's 85-81 win over the Westports Malaysia Dragons in a friendly on Sunday.

“I felt good, man. Playing behind ‘Del’ (Ranidel De Ocampo), trying to emulate what he does, filling in the spot when he comes out of the game, or when we’re on the floor together, well, we’re big out there so we can switch everything,” the 32-year-old told Spin.ph.

With naturalized center Marcus Douthit patroling the shaded lane along with chief backup June Mar Fajardo, De Ocampo and Japeth Aguilar acting as support at the front, Washington believes he can concentrate more on his specific role of providing the outside shooting.

Added to the squad bound for the Fiba Asia Cup in Wuhan, China as coach Chot Reyes rests outsider gunners Larry Fonacier, Jeff Chan and Jimmy Alapag, the two-time PBA Best Player of the Conference is looking forward to playing in his first international competition.

Washington is also excited to fit in in what he considers a very big squad.

“I don’t have to fight so hard with my man because everybody’s still in front. So it makes it easier when we can play three bigs like that or four bigs, like when JD (Jared Dillinger) or Gabe (Norwood) is at the one (point guard),” he added.

With only Gary David and PBA D-League standout Garvo Lanete as the team’s legitimate gunners, the former Eckerd College stalwart said Reyes has given him the green light to shoot whenever he’s given an open look from beyond the arc. 

He promised to knock them down.

“As long as I keep getting on those (three-point) shots, hopefully, it falls for me. And when I have good looks, I just have to take them because that’s what coach wants,” Washington said.

From SPIN.ph

[jamesbond]

is Germany in? i can't wait for the latest updates here... sana naman magbigay naman ang Brazil hahaha... anyway, these countries really live and breath football... so talagang die hard mga yan...


Sent from my 007 iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

FIBA Asia Cup preview: Gilas Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines – In a couple of days, the curtains will open on the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup, which will be held in Wuhan, China, the sight of the 2011 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships.

Nine teams are participating in this edition of what was formerly called the FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup (Uzbekistan backed out a couple of days ago). This tourney happens every two years, with the latest one held in Tokyo in 2012. The winner in that edition was Iran, which beat the host nation, 53-51, in the Finals.

Iran went through the whole field unscathed, beating India, Qatar, Taiwan, and Japan in the group stage, then upending Uzbekistan and the Philippines in the knockout rounds before repeating over the Japs in the Championship Game.

Gilas Pilipinas participated in 2012 as part of its long preparation for the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships. Gilas entered the Tokyo tournament as a heavy favorite, especially after capturing the 2012 Jones Cup in Taiwan, where they beat the mighty Iranians and a team from the USA. The Filipinos were already without coach Rajko Toroman, who, at that point, was already busy in the PBA with the San Miguel group.

Gilas finished the group stage in Tokyo with a 3-1 slate, with wins over Lebanon, Uzbekistan, and Macau, but a loss against a young Chinese team. Coach Chot Reyes, the newly-minted national tactician, helmed Gilas in its win over the Taiwanese in the quarterfinals. The Pinoys, however, lost to a tough Iran quintet in the semis before bowing to a hot-shooting Qatari squad in the battle for third.

With only half this roster comprised of players who were in the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships, it’s clear that this is not the same team that won the silver medal in Manila. Not around is veteran playmaker Jimmy Alapag, who drained a pair of dead-shot threes against Korea in the semifinals. Not around is Marc Pingris, who held the fort in the middle valiantly when Marcus Douthit went down with his infamous injury. Not around is Jayson Castro, who was so spectacular in Manila that he was named to the All-Star Five. Also not around are wingmen Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan, and Larry Fonacier, all of whom also had shining moments last year.

In their places are Kevin Alas and Garvo Lanete, both promoted from the Gilas cadet team. Jared Dillinger, a key piece of the Gilas pool in 2013 before getting injured in a vehicular accident, is also back in tow along with Beau Belga, the last cut prior to the Manila tournament. Two players are also making their debut for the national men’s team: Paul Lee of the Rain or Shine Elasto-Painters and Jay Washington of the GlobalPort Batang Pier.

How will these “replacements” do? Despite wanting in international experience, there is surely no shortage of talent and size. Both Alas and Lanete are projected to be high picks in the coming 2014 PBA Draft, while Lee and Belga will definitely come off a great season in the PBA.

The x-factors will be Dillinger and Washington. Dillinger pretty much takes the place of Norwood as Gilas’s main wing defender. He’ll probably take on Jordan’s Rasheim Wright and Taiwan’s Liu Cheng while also becoming a key facilitator and wing operator on offense. His experience will also be vital, as he was part of the 2012 squad in Tokyo.

Washington, for his part, will provide additional firepower from all angles. He is well-known as a versatile forward who can score around the basket and from the perimeter. The one knock on him, however, is his defense, and that’s exactly what Gilas will need more in Group B and the latter stages. Jordan will be top-heavy with Mohammad Hadrab and its twin towers – Ahmad Al-Dwairi and Mohammad Hussain – while Taiwan’s Quincy Davis will be all too happy to bully the Gilas frontline if we’re not careful. When we do advance, we’ll have to possibly contend with the likes of China’s Zhou Qi, Japan’s Takeuchi twins, and Iran’s vaunted frontcourt. Needless to say, Washington will be tested like never before.

He won’t have to go it alone, though, as a healthy Marcus Douthit, a motivated Japeth Aguilar, and freshly-crowned PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo will be around to solidify Gilas’s interior presence. Of course, we also cannot discount 2014 Govs’ Cup Best Player Ranidel De Ocampo, who will love nothing more than to slice and dice opposing defenses and rifle in those threes, and the burly Belga, who, if anything, will never back down from any tussle.

One key aspect here is whether LA Tenorio can orchestrate the offense with consistent efficiency. He had some shaky moments in 2013, and without both Castro and Alapag, the Lieutenant will be coach Chot’s #1 point man for all the games. Lee and Lanete will have their moments as the team’s floor generals, but both players’ strengths lean more towards their shooting rather than their playmaking.

Speaking of shooting, this is where the pressure will be squarely on veteran Gary David. In 2013, it took El Granada 6 games before he exploded with 4 threes against the Kazakhs in the quarterfinals. Gilas will play exactly 6 games in Wuhan, so he better heat up much earlier this time around. Kevin Alas should be an able back-up at the two-guard spot, with Dillinger, Lanete, and Lee all capable of hitting long toms, too, but make no mistake about who the team’s #1 sniper is.

So, after everything, can Gilas rule its group, go deep in the knockout phase, and even win this tournament? Coach Chot definitely has the tools, the size, and the talent, but perhaps the bigger factors are whether the team has played together enough and whether they’re fit enough to survive the grind of this relatively short competition. I expect they should finish among Group B’s top two (if not sweeping altogether), and they should advance at least till the semifinals. But it’s all up in the air after that. Iran will be the heavy favorites to win it all, China is famous for playing much better on home soil, and Japan had good form in its recent tune-up trip to Korea, so any of those teams can give Gilas more than a stiff challenge.

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Gilas Pilipinas opens FIBA Asia Cup campaign with victory over Chinese Taipei

The Philippine national men’s basketball team opened their campaign on a strong note after defeating a plucky Chinese Taipei squad, 78-64, to take the early Group B lead in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China.

Gilas Pilipinas led by as much 16 points but needed a strong final push to finally put Chinese Taipei’s B-team away in the final minutes of the game.

The Filipinos dominated stretches of the game but faltered in the third period, where they surrendered the lead, before righting the ship with a strong fourth quarter that they won, 31-14.

Paul Lee made a successful debut for the Gilas squad, scoring a game-high 18 points alongside four assists while Gary David added 16 to help lead the Philippine cause.

Naturalized center Marcus Douthit held down the fort down low with eight points and 16 big rebounds.

The win bodes well for Gilas as Chinese Taipei looked like the toughest assignment in Group B after they crushed a Rajko Toroman-coached Jordan side by 22 points, 85-63, on opening day.

Chinese Taipei’s naturalized player Quincy Davis III dominated Jordan for 21 points and 17 rebounds but could only post seven points and nine rebounds against the Philippines in this one.

Gilas looked like they would be in for an easy night, scoring the first 10 points of the game with six of those coming from David.

But Chinese Taipei’s Peng Chun-yun found his touch from the outside, knocking down a pair of three-pointers in an 8-0 counter that cut the Philippines’ deficit down to two, 12-10.

The entry of Lee and Ranidel De Ocampo, though, gave Gilas a late boost as they combined to score the last eight points of the quarter to lead, 20-10, with one in the books.

In the second, the Filipinos pushed the lead to as high as 16 points, 35-19, after reserves Garvo Lanete and Jared Dillinger found their range from beyond the arc in a 10-1 run for Gilas.

But they allowed Chinese Taipei to fire off seven unanswered points before LA Tenorio finally ended the drought with a split from the line to close the first half ahead, 36-26.

The Taiwanese then picked things up in the third quarter. They opened by the period scoring eight of the first 11 points as they cut their deficit down to just five.

Later in the third, Lu Chi-min caught fire, scoring nine points, including two three-pointers, in an 11-0 run that suddenly swung the game their way, 50-44.

They outscored the Philippines, 24-11, in the third.

Davis looked like he would begin to take over the game in the fourth, scoring back-to-back baskets that kept Chinese Taipei in the lead, 54-52.

But Gilas finally put things together in the final period as Ranidel De Ocampo kicked off a 13-0 run for the Filipinos.

De Ocampo hit back-to-back baskets, one of them a trey, to score the first five points of the rally before Douthit followed it up with a bucket of his own.

Lee then added three-pointer and David capped it with another long range bomb as the Philippines pushed the lead back up to 11, 65-54, with 4:31 to play.

Chinese Taipei got to as close as six inside the last two minutes but Gilas responded with seven unanswered points to finally ensure the victory.

The scores:

Gilas Pilipinas (78) – Lee 18, David 16, Tenorio 11, De Ocampo 11, Douthit 8, Dillinger 5, Aguilar 4, Lanete 3, Washington 2, Fajardo 0, Belga 0, Alas 0.

Chinese Taipei (64) – Hu 15, Liu 13, Lu 9, Peng 8, Davis 7, Chen Y. 5, Lee 3, Chen H. 2, Chou 2, Chang 0, Chen K. 0.

Quarterscores: 20-10, 36-26, 47-50, 78-64.

From InterAksyon

[Zurca]

Gilas Pilipinas routs Singapore to remain unbeaten in FIBA Asia Cup campaign

The Philippine national men’s basketball team picked up a second straight victory after knocking off fellow SEABA team Singapore, 74-57, in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China.

Gary David and Paul Lee led a balanced Gilas Pilipinas effort that hardly needed naturalized player Marcus Douthit, who played in just 15 minutes and did not score a single point.

David and Lee scored 10 apiece while Kevin Alas and Beau Belga each added eight points.

The Philippines started strong for a second straight game, scoring the first nine points in the game behind starters LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar and Gary David.

They led by as much 15 points in the second quarter after David rattled off five straight points to make it 32-17 before settling for a 43-31 advantage at the half.

David already had 10 points by the break.

In the third quarter, the teams went back and forth until Gilas unleashed an 11-2 blast that was capped by back-to-back baskets from Beau Belga and a three-point play from Aguilar.

The Filipinos led by 19 points, 53-37, at the end of the rally.

Gilas built the lead up to 22 points 67-45, in the fourth period but Singapore came charging back with a 10-0 blast that got them to within 12 points, 67-55, with 2:57 remaining.

But Singapore could get no closer and basket from Jared Dillinger in transition and a three-point play from Paul Lee pushed Gilas’ lead back up to 17 in the final minute.

Singapore’s Ng Hanbin led the losing team with 17 points but shot just 6-for-21 from the field while opening game hero Wong Wei Long had 16 points on 4-for-15 shooting.

The scores:
Gilas Pilipinas (74) – David 10, Lee 10, Alas 8, Belga 8, Lanete 7, Aguilar 7, De Ocampo 6, Fajardo 5, Tenorio 5, Washington 4, Dillinger 4, Douthit 0.

Singapore (57) – Ng H. 17, Wong 16, Goh 9, Oh 8, Toh 5, Lim 2, Soo D. 0, Soo P. 0, Ng S. 0, Low 0, Ng J. 0, Han.

Quarterscores: 25-14, 43-31, 56-39, 74-57.

From InterAksyon
Post Merge: July 14, 2014, 08:36:08 PMPaul George added to list of basketball stars in ‘Gilas Last HOME Stand’ charity event

US basketball star Paul George was added to list of basketball superstars set to arrive in Manila for PLDT’s All-Star charity event ‘The Last HOME Stand’ featuring the Philippine national men’s basketball team.

George will be joining an already stellar cast of players in Blake Griffin, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, Paul Pierce, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Nick Johnson.

PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan posted about George’s addition to the list on his Twitter account.

The event will give the Gilas Pilipinas squad a chance to pit their skills against the US contingent of top pros in a historic showcase.

Griffin, one of the sport’s top dunkers, and DeRozan will engage Ginebra forward Japeth Aguilar in a high-flying slam dunk competition while Lillard and Lowry test Talk ‘N Text guard Jimmy Alapag in an explosive three-point shootout.

It will also feature a clinic for the Gilas and US players conducted by elite skills coach John Lucas and, of course, a pair of pickup games featuring the basketball stars at their competitive best.

From InterAksyon

[jamesbond]

no match naman ata ang laban sir... hmmm.... hintayin natin mapasabak sa mga hebigats hahaha...


Sent from my 007 iPhone using Tapatalk

[Zurca]

Gilas Pilipinas tops Jordan to complete sweep of Group B ahead of FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinals

The Philippine national men’s basketball team survived its first real test of the tournament after squeaking past a Rajko Toroman-coached Jordan team, 71-70, to sweep its Group B assignments in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China.

Ranidel De Ocampo scored the last five Gilas Pilipinas points, including a three-pointer with 35.2 seconds that turned out to be the biggest shot of the game, to lead the Filipinos to a third straight win in the tournament.

Paul Lee led the way with 16 points while De Ocampo finished with 14, including four three-pointers, as Gilas emerged victorious against a tough Jordan squad that fought until the final buzzer.

Naturalized center Marcus Douthit, who saw limited action against Singapore in their last game, came up with 13 points and nine rebounds in this one.

Jordan had a chance to tie or win the game in the dying seconds after LA Tenorio missed a short stab that turned into a Jordanian fastbreak. But the Filipino scrambled back in time and a corner three from Wesam Al-Sous failed to find the mark.

The early goings of the game saw a duel between the two behemoths, 6-foot-10 Ahmad Al Dwairi of Jordan and Gilas’ Douthit, as they went back and forth.

But the Filipinos provided more support for their center as they charged to a 15-6 run, with Douthit scoring seven and Al Dwairi having all six of Jordan’s points.

The Philippines opened the second quarter on an 8-2 run to push the lead up to double figures for the first time.

But the Filipinos went cold after that, scoring just five points over the next eight minutes as Jordan unloaded a 14-3 run that brought them all the way back to tie the game.

The teams entered the half deadlocked at 30-apiece.

Douthit, who was scoreless in limited minutes in their last game, scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds in just the first two periods.

In the third quarter, Lee tried to keep the Philippines in the game as he scored eight successive Gilas points in a three-minute span.

But Jordan found a groove late, scoring seven unanswered points as they took a five-point lead late in the third.

Lee, who had been playing well for the Philippines, was whistled for two quick fouls in the opening minutes of the fourth, forcing him back to the bench for a key stretch.

From InterAksyon
Post Merge: July 15, 2014, 07:18:13 PM‘Gilas Last HOME Stand’ lineup complete with additions of James Harden, Tyson Chandler, Brandon Jennings

The lineup for PLDT’s All-Star charity event ‘The Last HOME Stand’ featuring the Philippine national men’s basketball team was completed with the addition of James Harden, Tyson Chandler and Brandon Jennings to an already impressive list of US basketball stars set to participate.

The event is set for July 22 and 23 at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum. Tickets will begin at P750.

Earlier confirmed for the event were some of the game’s finest players in Blake Griffin, Paul George, Damian Lillard, Kawhi Leonard, DeMar DeRozan, Kyle Lowry and Nick Johnson.

Terrence Ross and Ed Davis were also added to the final list.

PLDT chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan posted about the latest additions on his Twitter account.

The event will give the Gilas Pilipinas squad a chance to test themselves against the US contingent of top pros in a historic showcase.

Griffin and DeRozan are scheduled for a slam dunk contest with Gilas’ resident high-flyer Japeth Aguilar while Lillard and Lowry will be in a three-point shootout against captain Jimmy Alapag.

It will also feature a clinic for the Gilas and US players conducted by elite skills coach John Lucas and a pair of pickup games pitting the FIBA World Cup-bound Philippine team against some of the best players in basketball.

From InterAksyon

[Zurca]

Gilas fends off India to advance to FIBA Asia semis

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas advances to the semifinals of the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup after surviving a late rally from India, 70-66, on Thursday, July 17 at Wuhan, China.

After dominating the first three quarters of the game, the Philippine National Men's basketball team failed to score again with over four minutes left in the game following a triple by Paul Lee.

Lee's trey gave Gilas a 14-point lead, 70-56, but India would slowly storm back giving the Filipinos a scare in the end game.

In the dying minutes of the game, with Gilas holding on to a five-point lead, 70-65, India missed a shot and Lee would again come up with a big play, taking the rebound to help secure the win for the Filipinos.

Lee, who is making a strong case to be part of the final Gilas roster that will compete in Spain for the FIBA World Cup, once again led the Philippine team with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals while making three out of four of his three-point attempts.

Marcus Douthit was a force in the paint helping Gilas control the game in the first three quarters. He contributed 14 points and hauled down 12 rebounds. Ranidel de Ocampo has also been a steady contributor for the Philippines scoring 13 points making both of his three-point attempts.

Gilas will face Iran in the semifinals - the team they lost to in the Finals of the FIBA Asia Championships held in Manila back in August 2013.

Scores:

PH (70) - Lee 15, Douthit 14, De Ocampo 13, Washington 7, David 6, Alas 5, Dillinger 4, Aguilar 2, Fajardo 2, Tenorio 2, Belga 0

IND (66) - Amritpal Singh 20, Bhriguvanshi 10, P. Singh 10, J Singh 9, Amjyot Singh 8, Mishra 6, Y Singh 2, Pethani 1

Quarter scores: 20-17, 45-33, 60-47, 70-66

From Rappler.com
Post Merge: July 18, 2014, 09:11:53 PMGilas Pilipinas battered by Iranian juggernaut

MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas ran into the best team in Asia and wasn’t able to continue its unbeaten run, losing 76-55, in the semifinals of the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China.

The loss relegates Gilas to the battle for third place and negates any chances of getting an automatic berth in the 2015 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships.

The game started pretty close as Gilas was able to stick with the Iranians, who missed the services of key players Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, Mahdi Kamrani, and Hamed Afagh, among others.

Behind the scoring of Paul Lee, LA Tenorio, and Ranidel De Ocampo, the Pinoys stayed within striking distance of Iran for the entire first quarter.

That changed late in the second period, however, when Iran flexed its muscles and erected its first double-digit lead, 36-26, after a Hamed Haddadi basket. The WABA side eventually took an 11-point lead into the break.

The World Cup-bound Iranians didn’t let up when play resumed, turning to young guns Behnam Yakhchali and Mohammad Jamshidi to continuously frustrate the Filipinos.

Team Melli’s wingmen did the majority of the damage. Yakhchali, just 19 years old, and Jamshidi, 22, spearheaded Iran’s attack in the third canto, erecting a substantial 55-35 lead late in the quarter before settling for a 17-point cushion heading into the final ten minutes.

Gilas would bring the deficit down to as low as 13 points but the Filipinos couldn’t catch up as they lose to the Iranians for the third straight time in FIBA Asia competitions.

The last time Gilas beat Iran in a FIBA Asia event was four years ago when Gilas’ first iteration upset Iran in the quarterfinals of the 2010 FIBA Asia Stankovic Cup in Lebanon.

Gilas faltered in many departments, getting outmatched in rebounds, assists, steals, fast break points, and points off turnovers. Gilas was able to take care of the ball relatively well with just 8 turnovers, but their shooting went south after halftime. The Pinoys shot 14% from long distance and just 33% overall from the field. In contrast, Iran made 7/20 threes (35%) and connected on 42% of their field goal attempts.

It also didn’t help that naturalized player Marcus Douthit got into foul trouble early, forcing coach Chot Reyes to turn to PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo a little sooner than planned.

“Marcus (Douthit) took himself out of the game early on. It wasn’t going to be easy after that,” Reyes said in the postgame press conference.

Like Iran, Gilas was without a full complement of its main stars. Absent from the roster are six players from the silver medal team of 2013: Jayson Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Larry Fonacier, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, and Marc Pingris.

Coach Chot talked about how missing these guys really affected different aspects of Gilas’ game.

“We are here without key players, who will be with us later (for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup to be played in Spain from Aug 30-Sept 14) and our outside shooting therefore is certainly not what it can be,” Reyes said.

Despite having a 4-1 win-loss record so far, Gilas’ form has looked far from that which enabled the team to qualify for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The outside shooting and defensive intensity have been inconsistent, and if not for heroics from Gilas first-timer Paul Lee, some results might have been drastically different.

This was the first game Lee did not lead Gilas in scoring. Instead, the trio of LA Tenorio, Gary David, and Ranidel De Ocampo paced the Pinoys with 11 points each. Douthit had a subpar outing, finishing with just 6 markers and 8 boards. He visibly struggled to keep up with former NBA center Hamed Haddadi, who filled the stat sheet with 11 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 blocks, and 1 steal.

Jamshidi and Yakhchali led the Iranian onslaught with a combined 37 points, while young playmaker Sajjad Mashayekhi also impressed with 10 markers.

Iran advances to the championship game and has a chance to repeat as FIBA Asia Cup kings.

As of this writing, China and Taiwan were still disputing the other slot in the championship game.

Scores:

Iran (76) - Jamshidi 19, Yakhchali 18, Haddadi 11, Mashayekhi 10, Sahakian 7, Zangeneh 5, Lalehzadeh 3, Arghavan 2, Kazemi 1, Kardoust 0

Philippines (55) - Tenorio 11, David 11, De Ocampo 11, Douthit 6, Washington 5, Aguilar 4, Lee 4, Dillinger 3, Alas 0, Lanete 0, Belga 0, Fajardo 0

Quarter scores: 20-13, 39-28, 61-44, 76-55

From Rappler.com
Post Merge: July 19, 2014, 07:56:10 PMLee free throws give Gilas bronze in FIBA Asia Cup

MANILA, Philippines – Paul Lee knocked down three pressure packed free throws with no time remaining in the ball game to give Gilas Pilipinas the bronze medal in 2014 FIBA Asia Cup, 80-79, breaking the hearts of hosts China.

With the clock winding down, Lee received a pass from LA Tenorio and drew a foul from China while attempting a three-point shot late in the game. The foul was called with no time remaining in the final period.

Lee knocked down all free throws to give the Philippines its best-ever finish in the FIBA Asia Cup, formerly known as the Stankovic Cup.

The Philippines trailed nearly all game long. Ranidel De Ocampo, who led the Gilas with 18 points on 3/3 shooting from downtown, knocked down his third triple of the game with under three minutes remaining to cut China's lead to just 4, 75-71.

Lee then drive and dropped off a pass to Japeth Aguilar who scored inside while drawing a foul. He completed the three-point play to cut China's lead to just two points with 1:29 left in the game.

LA Tenorio then tied the count at 77-all with a floater but the Chinese quickly made it 79-77 by drawing a foul on the other end of the floor.

China had a chance to extend the lead to four points but failed to make two more free throws in the next play. Tenorio grabbed the rebound and quickly fired a pass to Lee who was waiting in the left wing ready to fire from downtown.

Lee, who has been the biggest story for Gilas in the FIBA Asia Cup after leading Gilas in its first three wins, finished the game with 9 points and two assists. It was only the second time in the tourney that he finished single-digits in scoring. The first was in the Philippines' semifinal loss against Iran.

Scores:

Philippines (80) - De Ocampo 18, Aguilar 14, Tenorio 12, Belga 10, Douthit 10, Lee 9, Lanete 3, Dillinger 2, Washington 2, David 0, Alas 0

China (79) - Makan 23, Gao 11, Tao 11, Zhou 10, Wang 9, Gu 7, Zhang 6, He 2, Dong 0, Zhao 0, Cao 0

Quarter scores: 15-24, 38-44, 60-62, 80-79

From Rappler.com

[Zurca]

Events for Day 2 of 'Last Home Stand' Canceled

MANILA, Philippines - In the aftermath of the confusion brought about by the sudden change of plans in Day 1 of the PLDT Home's 'Last Home Stand' All-Star Charity Event, PLDT boss Manny V. Pangilinan has announced that the second day of the supposed two-day event, Wednesday, July 23, has been cancelled.

The news was announced during a press conference that took place after Gilas-Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes mentioned the presumed exhibition game between the guest NBA stars and Gilas players was cancelled.

A live practice with drills featuring both teams took its place instead.

Ariel Fermin, PLDT Vice President for HOME, announced that fans unhappy with the live practice would be able to reclaim refunds for the price of admission they paid, before reminding everyone that the proceeds would still go to charity.

Those interested in getting their refunds can call these hotline numbers starting 9AM tomorrow: 836-5818, 836-5890, 836-5819.

During the press conference, the events team responsible for 'Last Home Stand' explained that the NBA guests would be sanctioned and fined if they ended up playing due a regulation on their contracts that doesn't allow NBA player to play in non-sanctioned NBA events.

Because of this, both sides thought it best to not push through with the contest.

Pangilinan mentioned that he is "extremely disappointed" with how everything turned out.

Chao Espaldon of East West Private, which helped promote the event, said during the meeting with the media that 'Last Home Stand' was never advertised as a game.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines home stand as "a series of baseball games played at a team's home field."

From Rappler.com

[arthas™]

This is a disappointment for fans as event organizers didn't give what they expect to see. That's a common sense that having NBA stars here will go for an exhibition match. With that being said, ginawa lang nilang tang* ang mga fans. I don't want to judge the organizers coz I'm not even sure what's goin' on backstage but as a fan, this is a waste of time. Charity was used as an excuse which is also an insult to injury.


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[Zurca]

Tama ka tol arthas, sabi daw pwedeng masuspend ang mga NBA players kung maglalaro sila sa isang "unsanctioned" event.

(Additional Updates) Medyo off topic:

Sources: NBA warned touring stars of participating in events in Manila

The NBA warned a touring group of its stars that they could face financial fines for participating in clinics in Manila, Philippines, that include short scrimmages and games of "H-O-R-S-E," league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Several NBA stars, including James Harden, Kawhi Leonard and Damian Lillard, were scheduled to participate in promotional appearances in Manila this week, and the NBA has told its Players Association that the event organizers failed to gain league approval, sources said.

There were scheduled to be two days of exhibition events on Tuesday and Wednesday in Manila, but news reports out of Manila suggest that those events were canceled and ticket refunds were given to fans.

The NBA warned against violations that included "some kind of exhibition of basketball skills," including shooting games and dunk contests, an NBPA memo obtained by Yahoo Sports said.

In the memo, the Players Association informed player agents and players that the NBA "has taken the position that any such exhibition or competition is unallowable and is not approved for player participation under the [collective bargaining agreement], regardless of whether it is incorporated into a 'clinic' or other 'benign-sounding activity.'"

Player agents believe that the NBA took a hardline stance on the Manila event because it wants to keep financial control of these international events involving NBA players, selling its own sponsorships to organizers and controlling the payouts to players.

The NBA players cut a direct deal with the Manila organizers, including some star players earning $150,000-plus stipends for the two-day event in the Philipines, sources said.

A high-ranking league official told Yahoo Sports "our biggest concerns aren't sponsorships and payouts, but the playing conditions around the games – quality of the floor, equipment around the court, presence of doctors and facilities for treatment, etc."

The warning was delivered to a formidable group of NBA players that also included Kyle Lowry, Terrence Ross, DeMar Derozan, Tyson Chandler and Brandon Jennings, sources said.

From Y! Sports

[arthas™]

Ang labo. That should have been discussed "before" the event was posted so fans may expect that in advance. A waste of time and money for fans indeed. If I will be one of those people, mapapamura talaga ako sa asar. Imagine, you went there early, may pakanta kanta pa ng mga national anthem then later on you will hear a disclaimer. Even if we're watching a delayed telecast, lahat din nagsialisan and instead went on to work.


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