#FIBAASIACUP2017 PREVIEW - GILAS PILIPINAS vs JORDAN

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The Philippines have lost back-to-back games and are hoping to salvage seventh place, but can they do it against a physical Jordan side?

The Philippines began their campaign with so much promise, bringing down defending champions China before beating Iraq and Qatar in succession. They were seen as leading contenders for a podium finish in the competition, but their blowout loss to Korea in the Quarter-Finals permanently derailed them.  Jordan are on a similar boat, wining their first two assignments before losing two of their last three to fall into this classification encounter.

GILAS PILIPINAS roster
Terrence Romeo - 5'10 - G
Carl Cruz - 6'3 - F
Gabe Norwood - 6'5 - F
Jio Jalalon - 5'8 - G
Jayson Castro - 5'10 - G
Calvin Abueva - 6'2 - F
June Mar Fajardo - 6'10 - C
RR Pogoy - 6'0 - G
Raymond Almazan - 6'7 - C
Japeth Aguilar - 6'10 - F/C
Christian Standhardinger - 6'8 - F/C
Matthew Wright - 6'2 - G
Ave. Height - 6'3
Ave. Age - 28

JORDAN roster
Mahmoud Abdeen - 6'3 - G - 29 - Awdeh BC (former SMB Asian import)
Amin Abu Hawwas - 6'2 - G - 23 - Al Riyadi Aramex
Sami Bzai - 6'1 - G - 23 - Southeastern Oklahoma St. 
Ahmad Al Hamarsheh - 6'6 - F - 30 - Al Riyadi Aramex
Sinan Eid - 6'1 - G - 35 - Aydin BSB
Yousef Abu Wazaneh - 6'7 - F - 23 - Orthodox BC
Mohammad Hussein - 6'10 - C - 27 - Al Fateh
Ahmad Obeid - 6'6 - F - 26 - Al Riyadi Aramex
Malek Kanaan - 5'9 - G - 24 - Awdeh BC
Mousa Al Awadi - 6'2 - G - 32 - Al Riyadi Aramex
Ali Jamal Zaghab - 6'9 - F - 29 - Awdeh BC
Ave. Height - 6'4
Ave. Age - 26

Game Notes:
1) KRAKEN X HUSSEIN
- Guards have buoyed the fortunes of both teams in this tournament, but a key matchup to watch here will be between big men June Mar Fajardo of Gilas Pilipinas and Mohammad Shaher Hussein of Al Nashama. Fajardo is the three-time MVP of the PBA, and he had a solid outing in the Philippines' previous game despite losing badly to Lebanon. Hussein, meanwhile, has been a reliable slotman for Jordan throughout the competition and is a constant double-double threat. They're both around the same size and are exactly the same age, so this should be very interesting.

Fajardo last game: 13pts, 2rebs, 1blk, 4/9 FGs
Hussein last game: 18pts, 8rebs, 6/12 FGs


2) PHI: SHOOTING NEEDS TO CLICK
- Outside shooting will be critical here. Making threes was a key ingredient in Gilas Pilipinas's three wins, and they need to rediscover that here against an aggressive and big Jordan quintet. Jordan, for sure, will need to limit the Filipinos' potency from long distance, and that means finding a way to slow down guys like Terrence Romeo and Matthew Wright. 

PHI 3pt shooting stats: 
1st 3 games - 12.3 triples per game - 3 wins
Last 2 games - 10.0 triples per game - 2 losses


3) PHI: WRIGHT BACK AT IT
- For some strange reason, Gilas has not been going to Matthew Wright a lot in their last 2 games. Wright was their designated spot-up shooter in the first three games, but he has been given very few looks in their losses to KOR and LBN. For Gilas to have a shot at salvaging 7th spot, they need Wright to get his fair share of shots again.

1st 3 games: 7.0 3pt attempts per game, 3.7 triples per game.
Last 2 games: 2.5 3pt attempts per game, 1.0 triple per game.


4) PHI: WHERE'S THAT DEFENSE?
- Even in their wins against CHN, IRQ, and JOR, Gilas's defense has looked suspect at times, but their defensive flaws were really pushed to the fore in their losses to KOR and LBN. Sure, Gilas had the firepower to match any team, but it was their defense that was having trouble keeping up. Needless to say, if they want to avoid a third straight defeat, the D needs to be tight, especially in transition.

Pts given up:
1st 3 games: 76.3ppg
Last 2 games: 112.0ppg

Fastbreak Pts given up:
1st 3 games: 8.0ppg
Last 2 games: 23.0ppg


5) JOR: BACKCOURT BOMBER
- Former SMB Asian import Mahmoud Abdeen has been Jordan's best backcourt player in this tournament. He leads the team in scoring, assists, and three-point shooting, and he will surely figure prominently in today's match. Gilas needs to stop this guy or at least slow him down because so much of Jordan's production is a direct result of his actions. Abdeen is coming off a really bad outing against CHN, though, so he will probably be raring to bounce back big time here.

Stats: 15.0ppg, 2.2rpg, 6.2apg, 2.3 triples per game.
Last game (vs CHN) - 2pts, 1reb, 1ast, 1/8 FGs.


6) JOR: UNSUNG AHMAD
- JOR is full of unsung heroes who don't hog the headlines, and one of them is Ahmad Al Hamarsheh. The 6'6 forward does a lot of damage and makes a lot of plays for JOR, and he will be relied on once again here as the small forward spot has been a weakness for Gilas. If guys like Gabe Norwood and Calvin Abueva cannot bring their A-game, Al Hamarsheh may just have a big game.

Stats: 7.3ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.5apg, 2.2spg, 1.5 triples per game.
Last game (vs CHN) - 5pts, 3rebs, 1ast, 2stls, 1blk, 1 triple.


Jordan Top Players:
Mohammad Shaher Hussein - 12.0ppg, 9.0rpg, 1.7spg, 1.2bpg.
Mahmoud Abdeen - 15.0ppg, 2.2rpg, 6.2apg, 2.3 triples per game.
Ahmad Al Hamarsheh - 7.3ppg, 6.2rpg, 1.5apg, 2.2spg, 1.5 triples per game.
Yousef Abu Wazaneh - 4.0ppg, 4.7rpg, 1.3spg.
Amin Abu Hawwas - 9.2ppg, 3.0rpg, 1.7apg, 1.5spg, 1.2 triples per game.

Philippines Top Players:
Terrence Romeo - 18.8ppg, 1.2rpg, 3.2apg, 3.2 triples per game.
Matthew Wright - 12.6ppg, 2.2rpg, 2.6apg, 2.6 triples per game.
Jayson Castro - 8.8ppg, 3.4rpg, 5.2apg, 1.2 triples per game.
Gabe Norwood - 5.0ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.6apg, 1.6spg, 1.4bpg.
RR Pogoy - 8.0ppg, 3.6rpg, 1.2spg, 1.4 triples per game.

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#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Quarter-Finals Roundup

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There were heartbreaks and blowouts in the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Quarter-Finals, with Iran, Korea, New Zealand, and Australia all prevailing. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below. 

IRAN over LEBANON, 80-70
Box Scores.

Iran will advance to play Korea in the FIBA Asia Cup Semi-Finals after an 80-70 victory over Lebanon in their Quarter-Final on Wednesday evening.

Hamed Haddadi had a monster 20-point, 20-rebound double double; the first 20-20 game of the tournament, Sajjad Mashayekhi had a number of key plays, and Mohammad Jamshidi had 24 points whilst only missing four shots to help Iran to the victory.

Iran - who shot 50% on the game - almost led from start to finish, though Lebanon did a good job of hanging around. And although it was Iran who did a poor job of looking after the ball, Lebanon were plagued by poor outside shooting and beaten on the glass. A pushback in the third saw them pull to within six, but it would be the closest they would get the rest of the way.

Wael Arakji had 24 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists and tried to lead a fourth quarter comeback, but Lebanon's defensive lapses allowed Iran to respond and keep their cushion.




KOREA over PHILIPPINES, 118-86
Box Scores.

Korea put on one of the offensive masterclasses of the FIBA Asia Cup so far with a 118-86 dismantling of the Philippines to book their spot in the Semi-Finals.

Korea shot over 66% from the field and 76% from beyond the arc, knocking down sixteen triples and registering 34 assists as nothing the Philippines could do would prevent their onslaught.

Terrence Romeo caught fire in the first half to keep Philippines within striking distance, registering 22 points on six of nine shooting from beyond the arc, but would not score again after the halftime break.

Korea were led by 22 points from Sekeun Oh, and 21 points from Sunhyung Kim, as he only missed two shot attempts.

Korea will face the winner of the Lebanon-Iran Quarter-Final, which will be played later this evening. 




NEW ZEALAND over JORDAN, 98-70
Box Scores.

New Zealand have set the stage for a Semi-Final match up with Australia after defeating Jordan 98-70 in their Quarter-Final on Thursday evening.

It turned into a blowout in the fourth quarter, and though New Zealand led from start to finish, Jordan did a good job of refusing to go down without a fight.

New Zealand dominated the glass, whilst shooting almost 50% from the field led by 19 points a-piece from Tohiraukura Smith-Milner and Shea Ili, with the latter adding 13 assists, as Finn Delaney finished with 17 points and 9 rebounds for the young squad.

The deficit might have been bigger early if it wasn't for Jordan's Mah'd Abdeen being their saving grace, exploding for 20 of his 24 points in the first half whilst missing just one shot.

One final third quarter rally from Jordan saw them pull within four, that that is as close as they would get the rest of the way.

Mohammad Hussein joined Abdeen as the only other player in double figures for Jordan, with 14 points.




AUSTRALIA over CHINA, 97-71
Box Scores.

Australia have booked their place in the FIBA Asia Cup Semi-Finals with a 97-71 drubbing of China.

A 14-0 run over the final four minutes of the third period, led by Mitchell McCarron, saw Australia take a sixteen point lead into the last quarter where they would cruise for the final 26-point differential.

The second half saw the Australians tighten the screw defensively, allowing just 29 points.

Jason Cadee led Australia in scoring with 20 points, McCarron finished with 17, whilst Daniel Kickert and Mitch Creek added 16 points-a-piece.

Gen Li had 19 points to pace China.

Australia now await the winner of the New Zealand against Jordan Quarter-Final match up on Thursday evening, and will join Iran and Korea in the Semi-Finals.




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#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 8

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The cast of the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup Quarter-Finals is finally complete after China andJordan secured separate wins on Day 8. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below. 

CHINA over SYRIA, 81-79
Box Scores.

China survived a serious scare from Syria, coming back from as many as fifteen down to prevail 81-79 on Tuesday evening.

It means China advance to play Australia on Thursday in the Quarter-Finals.

China breathed a sigh of relief when Syria's Al Haddad missed two free throws which would have forced overtime, having dominated the fourth quarter 25-11 after appearing down and out following an impressive early display from the Syrian side.

Micheal Madanly did all he could to give Syria a chance, finishing with 35 points and 7 assists, but it would not be enough.

A 10-2 start to the final period got China back into the game, before a Ren three pointer broke the tie to give China a three point lead with 5 minutes remaining and from there they would pull away.

It marks the second time in as many games China have lived dangerously, preventing upsets with big fourth quarter performances.

Gen Li led China with 19 points, with Xiaoyu Liu having 7 assists to go with his 10 points.




JORDAN over IRAQ, 84-70
Box Scores.

Jordan rounded out the FIBA Asia Cup 2017 Quarter-Finalists with a 84-70 victory over Iraq.

It means Jordan will advance to face New Zealand on Thursday.

With neither team able to gain separation, a 14-4 Jordan run, spearheaded by Amin Abu Hawwas over the final 4 minutes of the third period put the victors up double digits and firmly in the driving seat.

They extended their lead to as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter and thwarted any attempts at a comeback from Iraq.

Mohammad Hussein had a monster double-double of 15 points and 19 rebounds to lead Jordan, whilst Mah'd Abdeen joined him with 18 points and 10 assists. Abu Hawwas added 18 points of his own, along with 4 rebounds and 5 assists.

Mohammed Al-Khafaji led Iraq's scoring with 21 points, as Kevin Galloway stuffed the stat sheet with 13 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 steals.



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#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 6

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The results of Day 6 formalized the Qualification to the Quarter-Finals pairings at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup, with Gilas Pilipinas's sweep of Group B the highlight of the day. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below. 

CHINA over IRAQ, 61-60
Box Scores.

China survived a scare to prevail with a 61-60 victory over Iraq to tip off Sunday's final Group Phase action.

With Iraq leading by 9 with just over four minutes remaining, the upset of the tournament appeared to be on, but China refused to go down without a fight.

Ailun Guo caught fire, scoring 10 of his 19 points in the final three minutes to see China through. Han was the only other player in double figures for China with 11.

Omar Alazawi led Iraq with 22 on 8 of 13 shooting, going six of seven from beyond the arc.




PHILIPPINES over TAIWAN, 80-74
Box Scores.

The Philippines topped Group B with a 80-74 win to hold off a relentless Qatar on Sunday afternoon.

Matthew Wright had 11 of his 25 points in the first quarter to get the Philippines off to the start they needed and hit huge baskets throughout, as his squad finished the Group Phase at 3-0.

The Philippines were hot from beyond the arc, knocking down nine of their fifteen triples in the first half in front of a raucous crowd to remain in control.

Qatar kept on fighting, led by Mansour Elhadary, and got back within five in the fourth but were unable to get over the hump, thanks in large part to the play of Wright.

Cruz added 13 points for the Philippines, whilst Elhadary had 23 points and 6 assists for Qatar, and Saad finished with 18.




IRAN over JORDAN, 83-71
Box Scores.

Iran prevailed 83-71 in the battle of the two undefeated teams in Group A.

Another near triple-double from Hamed Hadadi (17 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists), and Behnam Yakhchali's 20-point, 10-rebound double-double proved to be enough for Iran, who finish atop of Group A at 3-0.

Iran took a 43-26 lead into the break, pestering Jordan into 25% shooting, and led by as many as 22, as Jordan were chasing from the early stages.

Mahmoud Abdeen had 22 points and 9 assists to lead Jordan in the loss.




SYRIA over INDIA, 87-78
Box Scores.

Syria joined China in narrowly avoiding an upset with a 87-78 win over India in the final game of the Group Phase on Sunday evening.

Trailing by as many as nineteen early in the third quarter, Ivan Todorovic had 9 of his efficient 23 points in the period as Syria began mounting their comeback. 

Trailing by 8 to open the fourth, Micheal Madanly took over. He had 10 points in the final period, including six straight to give Syria the lead that they would hold on to for the victory.

Todorovic added 14 rebounds with his 23 points, and Madanly finished with 18 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists.

Amritpal Singh did a little bit of everything for India with 17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. Amjyot Singh Gill had 12 points and 8 assists, Annadurai top scored with 20 points.

India finish up 0-3 at the bottom of Group A, as Syria picked up their first win at 1-2. They will play the Qualifications to Quarter-Finals on Tuesday.



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#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 4

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Day 4 at the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup saw the Philippines, Iran, and Jordan remain unbeaten while China bounced back against Qatar. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below.

CHINA over QATAR, 92-67
Box Scores.

Ailun Guo had a dominant individual performance to lead China past Qatar 92-67 to open Friday's action.

Guo knocked down five three-pointers on his way to 30 points, adding 4 rebounds and 4 assists, as China picked up their first win after an opening defeat to the Philippines. It was not until the second half the Chinese pulled away for good, momentarily falling behind midway in the second quarter before regrouping.

Abdulrahman Saad and Ali Saeed Erfan were the high men for Qatar with 19 and 18 points, respectively. Qatar continue to look for their first win in Group A at the FIBA Asia Cup 2017. 




PHILIPPINES over IRAQ, 84-68
Box Scores.

Philippines recovered from a slow first half to defeat Iraq 84-68 with a dominant third period.

A 26-7 third quarter run, whilst limiting Kevin Galloway's effectiveness, saw Philippines get the cushion they need to stay perfect atop of Group B at 2-0. 

Christian Karl Standhardinger had 16 points and 7 rebounds for the Philippines, whilst Terrence Romeo added 17 points and 4 assists.

Galloway did his best efforts to keep Iraq in it, finishing with 23 points (15 in the first half), 14 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks, but it would not be enough. 




JORDAN over INDIA61-54
Box Scores.

Jordan improved to 2-0 with a 61-54 victory over a much-improved India side.

After a mauling at the hands of Iran in their opener, India bounced back and managed to hang with Jordan the entirety of the game, though ultimately were plagued by turnovers, as Jordan registered 12 steals on the game.

Alawadi had 22 on 9 of 17 shooting and Ahmad Alhamarsheh had 13 rebounds to go with his 8 points for Jordan.

India were led by 17 points from Amjyot Singh Gill and Aravind Annadurai's 6-point, 10-rebound, 2-block effort. 




IRAN over SYRIA, 87-63
Box Scores.

 Iran registered 29 assists on their way to a 87-63 victory over Syria to stay undefeated in Group A.

Hamed Hadadi continued to make his case for one of the best passing big men in the game, finishing one assist shy of a triple double with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 9 assists.

Syria struck first just 15 seconds into the game, but Mohammad Jamshidijafarabadi responded immediately with a three to give Iran a lead they would not relinquish the rest of the way, pulling away in the second period to extend their lead to 20 by halftime.

Jamshidijafarabadi provided additional support on the ball sharing front, adding 9 assists of his own to go with 16 points, whilst Behnam Yakhchali led the scoring with 25 points on 9 of 13 shooting.

Micheal Madanly led Syria, who dropped to 0-2, with 22 points.




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#FIBAAsiaCup2017 Roundup Day 2

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The 2017 FIBA Asia Cup saw a couple of upsets on Day 2, highlighted by the Philippines' stirring win over China and Iraq's unexpected victory over undermanned Qatar. Check out all the recaps and highlights from FIBA.com below.

PHILIPPINES over CHINA, 98-87
Box Scores.

Two years after their infamous Final loss in Changsha-Hunan, the Philippines dealt sweet vengeance against perennial tormentors China.

The Philippines have had a painful history facing China at the continental level, and by all indications, today's game was supposed to be another notch in China's favor. Entering this matchup, China had won 6 of their last 9 meetings with the Philippines at the senior men's level.

The Chinese were bigger, deeper and had significantly longer preparation as they entered the Asia Cup 2017 in Beirut. With 2015 All-Star Five member Guo Ailun leading the way, China were heavily favored against Gilas Pilipinas, who were without prized naturalized player Andray Blatche and who recently lost key center June Mar Fajardo to injury.

As soon as the opening tip of today's pivotal encounter, though, the Philippines were in overdrive. Coach Chot Reyes's wards looked every bit like the favorites. They were throwing triple-teams at China, forcing turnovers, running in transition and hitting their three-point bombs.

The Filipinos channelled all the pent up frustration of the past and turned it into energy that they used to the hilt.

The duo of Jayson Castro and Terrence Romeo proved to be magical again for the Philippines, with Asia Cup newcomers Matthew Wright, Raymond Almazan and Christian Standhardinger also holding their own. Castro had 13 points and 7 assists, while Wright drained 2 triples en route to 12 points. Aguilar, for his part, was a defensive dynamo, recording 5 blocked shots.

This result pushed the Philippines as favorites to top Group B, and it will be interesting to see how they approach their next matches against the Qatar and Iraq.




IRAN over INDIA, 101-54
Box Scores.

Take a look back on the highlights as Iran sent a message to the rest of Group A with a dominant 101-54 performance over India.

Iran jumped out to a 21-point first quarter lead and never looked back, as they faced little resistance from the Indian side.

Hadadi led the victors with 20 points and 8 assists, whilst India were led by Amjyot Singh Gill's 10 points, as the only player in double figures.




IRAQ over QATAR, 75-66
Box Scores.

Iraq registered a huge victory, taking down Qatar 75-66 to put them in a strong position to advance to the knockout stages.

Despite a surge from Qatar in the fourth, Iraq stayed in control from start to finish, led by Kevin Galloway's 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals,

Abdulrahman Saad was Qatar's top performer with a game-high 23 points.




JORDAN over SYRIA, 68-66
Box Scores.

Jordan survived a furious late rally from Syria to prevail 68-66 in the final game of Day 2 at the FIBA Asia Cup.

Jordan appeared to be in control of the contest, before Syria cut a 20-point lead to single digits, even taking a lead momentarily. However, Jordan made plays when it counted to hold on for the win.

Sixteen points from Mousa Alawadi led Jordan, with a game-high 25 points from Tarek Aljabi proving not to be enough for Syria.




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