“Gilas” snaps eight-game skid to Korea, sets date with Iran in FIBA Asia Championship finale
Nuki Sabio | FIBA Asia Images
For the generations of players who donned the national colors and were thwarted by East Asian powerhouse Korea, the long-standing jinx has finally been vanquished.
Jimmy Alapag’s trey with 54 seconds late in the final period to extend the slim Philippine lead to five, compounded with Gabe Norwood’s crucial block on Min Goo Kim’s desperation trey following the timeout salvaged the nationals’ eventual 86-79 conquest of perennial tormentors in Saturday night’s historic 2013 FIBA Asia Championship for Men semi-finals match at the Mall of Asia Arena.
The win assured not only a second place finish at the least, but also secured the Filipino dribblers’ spot in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain to be held on August next year.
Playing without the injured Marcus Douthit through the entire second half, Marc Pingris stepped up to the plate, contributing 16 points on a near-perfect 7-for-8 shooting from the field with 10 rebounds, despite playing with a bum ankle.
Douthit is still nursing a right shin injury he sustained in their second round match against Qatar.
Leading the pack was Jayson Castro William, who scored 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting, with three rebounds and three assists off the bench. Alapag added 14 markers, while Ranidel De Ocampo had 11.
Kim Min Goo led the blue shirts with 27 points on 9-for-15 shooting, followed by Yang Dong Geun and Kim Joo-sung with 11 points apiece.
Waiting on the host’s wings in the title match is a resurgent Iran squad, who earlier routed Chinese Taipei by a count of 79-60 to book the first of three Asian tickets in next year’s World Title showcase.
Mahdi Kamrany led the West Asian champions with 19 points on 8-for-10 shooting, with six rebounds and six assists. Ex-Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddadi added 17 points and 14 rebounds in a dominant performance in the paint.
Naturalized center Quincy Davis III tallied 16 points and five rebounds in a losing cause for Chinese Taipei.
The Iranians and Filipinos are set to meet for the eighth time in the tournament’s history, winning their last six meetings dating back to 1989.
Respective losses by both Chinese Taipei and Korea relegated both squads to the bronze medal match to decide which team will take the last direct entry to Spain.
