Ignoring the lopsided officiating, the Philippine men’s basketball team entered the finals of the FIBA Asia Championship for the second consecutive time, thanks to the heroics of 38-year-old journeyman Dondon Hontiveros who saved Gilas from what could have been a Japanese upset.
With the expected result, the Philippines will vie for the lone ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics after downing Japan for a second time in the tournament, 81-70, Friday in Changsha.
The Cebuano spitfire, who has been playing starring roles in the pro ranks since 1998, sank six triples for his tournament high 18 points.
Three of his treys came in pivotal moments in the fourth quarter, which started coming off a 54-all deadlock, with the most important one coming off from a pull-up jump shot against a double team at the three minute mark for a 72-65 separation.
“We just held on and made the important shots in the last minutes,” observed Gilas head coach Tab Baldwin.
“They will go on court tomorrow and win the gold medal. That is what they will play for,” he said regarding his team’s finals date with home team China.
And hold on Gilas did, as the higher-seeded Philippine team battled numerous ticky-tack calls, as Japan sank 24 free throws as compared to the Philippines’ six, which is a tournament low for the latter.
Japan heavily relied on shooter Makoto Hiejima, who scored 28 points in the first three quarters off mid-range jumpers and ten free throws.
The Filipino defense stood its ground though against Hiejima, as the spitfire was limited to 0-of-3 in the field in the final period, forcing him to commit all of his four turnovers in the quarter.
Hiejima’s downfall in the fourth quarter was enough to pull Japan down, as the Philippines were carried by Hontiveros and fellow veteran Ranidel de Ocampo, who scored all of his eight points in the quarter.
Andray Blatche quietly led the Philippines with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Jaysoc Castro William still played splendidly with 20 points and a tournament high seven assists.
In the first semifinal match, China remains unbeaten after clobbering defending champions Iran, 70-57, in a highly physical match with China blitzing to a 21-12 lead in the first quarter and never looking back.
Photo from FIBA.com
