Preliminary
round action ended on Day 3 of the 2013 FIBA Asia Men’s Championships at the
ultra-modern Mall of Asia Arena, and it will be remembered as a “what could have
been” day for Gilas Pilipinas as Taiwan showcased a shooting clinic all
throughout their match, connecting on 54% of their FGs, including making half
of their three-pointers.
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| Tseng Wen-Ting and the his hot-shooting teammates pulled the rug from under Gilas Pilipinas. |
In the first
game of the day, the Koreans didn’t really play with a lot of intensity, but
they still managed to throttle the Malaysians, 80-58. Although there was no
question about which team was really more dominant throughout the contest,
Malaysia was able make things interesting in the third quarter. After getting
behind by 18 points midway through the stanza, Malaysia made a run capped by a
big triple to cut the deficit to just ten points, 48-58, heading into the final
frame. Coach Yoo Jae-Hak’s boys eventually got their act together and a strong
finish pegged the final tally. One bright spot, however, for coach Choon Yean
Teh of Malaysia was the performance of youngster Tian Yuan Kuek, who hit 5
triples on his way to a game-high 25 points. The Koreans, meanwhile, were led
by the combined 30 points and 18 rebounds of Lee Seung-Jun and Lee Jong-Hyun.
Malaysia is now eliminated after absorbing its third loss, while the Koreans
await the result of the China-Iran game later in the day to see where they
stand.
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| Tian Yuan Kuek waxed hot against Korea. |
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| Kim Jong-Kyu goes up strong. |
The second
game of the day featured Kazakhstan running away with the game after playing a
tight first half against India. The Snow Leopards of coach Matteo Boniociolli
used a searing third quarter rally to extend their slim 5-point halftime lead
to double-digits and eventually win, 80-67. Mikhail Yevstigneyev (I call him
the “Beau Belga of Kazakhstan”) dropped 21 points on 7/11 FG shooting for coach
Boniciolli. He was ably supported by 16 points and 6 assists form Jerry Johnson
and 13 markers off the bench from Rustam Yargaliev. For its part, India was
paced by 19 points, 6 boards, and 5 dimes from star guard Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.
Coach Scott Fleming, American coach of the Blue Tigers, was disappointed with
the result, but remained unfazed. He believes that if his team plays its best,
they will be able to challenge the tougher teams in the next round. With this
win, Kazakhstan sweeps round 1 in Group D and enters the crossover second round
with a 2-0 slate (they only carry the results from the other two teams who will
advance – India is one and the other one SHOULD be Bahrain).
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| Mikhail Yevstigneyev imposed his will down low. |
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| The Indians just couldn't take control. |
In the third
game, Qatar torched the nets with 15 triples on its way to subduing Hong Kong,
87-64. Jarvis Hayes and Daoud Musa Daoud paired up for 9 triples to underscored
Al Ennabi’s hot shooting. Hayes ended up with 25 points, while Daoud
contributed 17. Qatar also won the battle on the boards, 44-35, with Saad
Abdulrahman collaring 9 caroms. They also did a better job sharing the wealth,
accounting for 21 assists against just a dozen for Hong Kong. The diminutive
Chan Siu Wing hit 5 treys of his own to finish with 18 markers in leading the
Hong Kongers, who now go 0-2, but are still entering the second round against
the top three teams of Group A. Qatar sweeps Group B and enters the crossover
second round 2-0.
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| Jarvis Hayes was unstoppable. |
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| HK big man Duncan Reid still needs a lot of work. |
In the fourth
game of the day, the Iranians bullied a leaderless China, running away with
their third straight win to end Group C play, 70-51. The Iranians were relentless
in pouncing on Team China, which did not enjoy the services of star big man Yi
Jianlian, who sat out the contest due to injuries he sustained prior to the
start of the tournament. When asked about his star player’s condition, coach
Giannakis Panagiotis simply said that Yi’s status would be “day to day.” Iran,
on the other hand, didn’t miss a beat as they led from start to finish. Oshin
Sahakian, in particular, was just all over the place, getting rebounds and
moving to open spots for the easy baskets. Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, too, played
like a man on a mission, tearing the Chinese defense to shreds in many
occasions. Hamed Haddadi, as expected, dominated in the absence of Yi. The
former Phoenix Sun center had 15 points and 7 rebounds against the likes of
Wang Zhelin and Li Xaoxu. Sahakian backstopped him with 13 markers and 7
boards, while sniper Hamed Afagh finally caught fire, hitting three triples on
his way to 12 points. In contrast, Wang Shipeng was the only Chinese in
double-figures with 11 points. China was -6 in rebounds and steals, -7 in
assists, and turned the ball over 5 more times than their foes. This result
gives Iran a 2-0 card moving into round 2, while China totes a 0-2 slate.
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| Zhu Fangyu and the Chinese just weren't themselves. |
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| Mahdi Kamrani gets past Guo Ailun. |
The fifth game
of the day featured Chinese-Taipei rally from a 13-point deficit at the start
of the fourth quarter and pull the rug from under the hosts, 84-79. The wing
duo of coach Hsu Chin-Che – Lu Cheng-Ju and Lin Chih-Chieh – shot really well
from the perimeter in this one. Those two connected on 9 of their 15 attempts
from deep, and, as a team, Taiwan converted 50% of their three-point attempts.
Big men Tien Lei and Tseng Wen-Ting also contributed heavily, with Tien going
4/8 from downtown Tseng hitting a critical trey off the backboard in the last
few minutes. For the third straight game, Gilas suffered through a slow start,
trailing by 11 after the first stanza. With great play off the bench from Jimmy
Alapag and Larry Fonacier, however, the locals were able to turn the tables on
the Taiwanese. Fonacier waxed hot from the outside and helped Gilas eventually
erect that big lead at the end of the third. It also helped that Taiwan’s
Quincy Davis got into early foul trouble, but when he returned to the game in
the fourth period, he helped Taiwan’s memorable fight-back. Lu led all scorers
with 22 points, while Lin and Tien scored 20 and 18 respectively. On the losing
end, Fonacier led the way with 21 points, while Marcus Douthit added 16 points
and 10 boards.
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| Lu Cheng-Ju bailed out the Taiwanese with hot sniping. |
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| Gabe Norwood goes for the air reverse. |
In the sixth game,
Bahrain scattered Thailand, 86-62, to formalize its entry into the second
round. Unlike their previous two games, the Red Wolves no longer needed
overtime in this encounter, but the Thais did give them a tough fight,
especially in the first half. Behind some hot shooting, the SEABA team stayed
within striking distance, 35-43, entering the third period, but then Bahrain
just turned on the jets and blew the game open. Mohamed Al Derazi led Bahrain
with 21 points on the strength of 3 triples, while CJ Giles added a sublime
double-double – 18 points and 18 rebounds.
The day ended
with Jordan finally getting a win after beating Saudi Arabia, 63-47. It was a
little too close for comfort for coach Alexandris Evangelos, though, as his
wards actually trailed early in the game and the Saudis seemed to be the more
aggressive squad. But Al Nashama was able to keep its composure throughout to
eventually open things up. Jimmy Baxter, Ali Jamal Zaghab, and Wesam Al Sous
conspired to rally the WABA team and claim third place in Group A and the last
spot in the second round. Baxter led the way with 15 points, while Al Sous hit
3 triples to finish with 11 markers. Zaghab had his best game of the tournament
so far with 10 points and 10 rebounds. On the other end, KSA was led by Ayman
Al Muwallad’s 16 points, while big man Mohammed Al Murwani finished with 14
markers and 12 boards. Saudi shot just 1/17 from beyond the arc.
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| Coach Aleksandris Evangelos has been one of the most animated personalities. |
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| Mustafa Al-Husawi shoots from deep. |
2013 FIBA Asia
Championship Standings
Group A
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Taiwan
|
3
|
0
|
Philippines
|
2
|
1
|
Jordan
|
1
|
2
|
Saudi
Arabia
|
0
|
3
|
Group B
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Qatar
|
2
|
0
|
Japan
|
1
|
1
|
Hong
Kong
|
0
|
2
|
Group C
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Iran
|
3
|
0
|
South
Korea
|
2
|
1
|
China
|
1
|
2
|
Malaysia
|
0
|
3
|
Group D
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Kazakhstan
|
3
|
0
|
Bahrain
|
2
|
1
|
India
|
1
|
2
|
Thailand
|
0
|
3
|
This is how
the second round groupings will look:
Group E
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Taiwan
|
2
|
0
|
Qatar
|
2
|
0
|
Philippines
|
1
|
1
|
Japan
|
1
|
1
|
Jordan
|
0
|
2
|
Hong
Kong
|
0
|
2
|
Group F
|
Wins
|
Losses
|
Kazakhstan
|
2
|
0
|
Iran
|
2
|
0
|
Korea
|
1
|
1
|
Bahrain
|
1
|
1
|
China
|
0
|
2
|
India
|
0
|
2
|
Consolation Match-ups:
Malaysia vs.
Thailand (loser finishes 15th and winner plays Saudi Arabia for 13th
place)
Schedule of Games for Round 2:
Monday,
August 5, 2013
1030am
|
MOA Arena
|
Qatar vs Jordan
|
1245pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Iran vs India
|
300pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Taiwan vs Hong Kong
|
545pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Kazakhstan vs China
|
600pm
|
Ninoy Aquino
|
Malaysia vs Thailand
|
830pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Philippines vs Japan
|
1030pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Korea vs Bahrain
|
Tuesday,
August 6, 2013
1030am
|
MOA Arena
|
Jordan vs Hong Kong
|
1245pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Bahrain vs Iran
|
300pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Japan vs Taiwan
|
545pm
|
MOA Arena
|
China vs India
|
600pm
|
Ninoy Aquino
|
Saudi Arabia vs MAS/THA
|
830pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Philippines vs Qatar
|
1030pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Korea vs Kazakhstan
|
Wednesday,
August 7, 2013
1030am
|
MOA Arena
|
Japan vs Jordan
|
1245pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Iran vs Kazakhstan
|
300pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Taiwan vs Qatar
|
545pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Bahrain vs China
|
830pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Philippines vs Hong Kong
|
1030pm
|
MOA Arena
|
Korea vs India
|
BOX SCORES:
KOREA over MALAYSIA,
80-58
KOR 80- - Lee SJ 18, Lee JH 12, Cho 11, Moon 10,
Kim JS 7, Kim MG 6, Yoon 5, Kim SH 4, Kim JK 4, Kim TS 3, Yang 0, Choi 0
MAS 58 - Kuek 25, Gan 10, Soo 5, Ooi 5, Wong CY
4, Foong 4, Choo 3, Ng 2, Wong WS 0, Tong 0, Mak 0
QS: 22-15, 44-29, 58-48, 80-58
KAZAKHSTAN over
INDIA, 80-67
KAZ 80 - Yevstigneyev 21, Johnson 16, Yargaliev
13, Ponomarev 11, Lapchenko 8, Klimov 6, Zhigulin 3, Bondarovich 2, Sultanov 0,
Murzagaliev 0
IND 67 - Bhriguvanshi 19, Grewal 14, Singh J 10,
Bharama 8, Singh Amj 5, Singh Amr 4, Singh Y 4, Singh P 2, Singh Arj 1, Pethani
0
QS: 20-19, 43-38, 67-48, 80-67
QATAR over HONG
KONG, 87-64
QAT 87 - Hayes 25, Daoud 17, Ali 8, Abdi 7,
Abdullah Mo 7, Saeed 5, Yousef 5, Abdulrahman 4, El Hadary 3, Abdullah Ma 3,
Mohammed 3, Musa 0
HKG 64 - Chan SW 18, Wong CW 9, Lau Tsz 8, Fong
8, Reid 8, Li 4, Lau Tun 4, Lee 3, Lam 2, Chan YL 0, Szeto 0
QS: 32-14, 44-30, 64-47, 87-64
IRAN over CHINA,
70-51
IRI 70 - Haddadi 15, Sahakian 13, Afagh 12,
Bahrami 10, Sohrabnejad 6, Kardoust 6, Davoudi 3, Kamrani 3, Veisi 2, jamshidi
0, Davari 0, Arghavan 0
CHN 51 - Wang SP 11, Wang ZZ 9, Liu 6, Li 6,
Wang ZL 6, Zhou 6, Zhu 4, Guo 3, Chen 0, Sun 0, Zhang 0
QS: 26-16, 41-24, 54-41, 70-51
TAIWAN over PHILIPPINES,
84-79
TPE 84 - Lu 22, Lin 20, Tien 18, Tseng 16, Davis
6, Yang 2, Lee 0, Chen 0, Hung 0, Tsai 0, Creighton 0
PHL 79 - Fonacier 21, Douthit 16, De Ocampo 13,
Castro 11, Alapag 9, Norwood 9, Tenorio 0, Chan 0, David 0, Aguilar 0, Pingris
0
QS: 30-19, 42-43, 55-68, 84-79
BAHRAIN over THAILAND,
86-62
BRN 86 - Al Derazi M 21, Giles 18, Quwayed M 12,
Al Tawash 11, Ismaeel 11, Akhbar 9, Azzam 4, Malabes 0, Quwayed Y 0
THA 62 - Lertmalaiporn 11, Lertlaokul 11,
Klaewnarong 9, Tongsri 6, Apiromvilaichai Dg 6,
Apiromvilaichai Dn 5, Dasom 5, Ghogar 4, Klahan 3, Kongkum 2, Samerjai 0
QS: 21-18, 43-35, 62-46, 86-62
JORDAN over SAUDI
ARABIA, 63-47
JOR 63 - Baxter 15, Al Sous 11, Zaghab 10,
Hadrab 9, Al Hamarsheh 6, Abu Ruqayah 5, Abu Qoura 3, Al Dwairi 2, Abdeen 2, Al
Najjar 0, Al Faraj 0, Hussein 0
KSA 47 - Al Muwallad A 16, Al Marwani Mo 14,
Kabe 6, Al Muwallad M 5, Al Husawi 5, Al Marwani Ma 1, Abo Jalas 0
QS: 18-12, 26-28, 46-39, 63-47
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