INDONESIA survived Thailand, 60-59, behind Mario Wuysang’s clutch basket in the first thrilling finish so far in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship on Sunday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The 38-year-old Wuysang proved he still has it, taking matters into his own hands and scoring on a stepback jumper that proved to be the go-ahead basket with 11 seconds left as the Thais turned the ball over in the next possession.
The Indonesians thus remained unbeaten after three outings as they dealt the Thais their first loss in three games.
Wuysang came though when it mattered as he missed seven of his first nine shots before burying the game-winner to finish with seven points, five assists, two boards, and two steals in 25 minutes.
Sandy Kurniawan kept the Indonesians on the driver’s seat as the lanky wingman fired a team-high 17 points built around five triples, three assists, and two boards in 22 minutes off the bench.
The result spoiled the return of Chitchai Ananti, who missed Thailand’s last game to rest a leg injury he suffered in the opener last Friday, as he registered a game-high 24 points, five assists, and three boards in 31 minutes in a losing effort.
The Thais went up, 59-58, after a Sorot Sunthonsiri basket, but that set the stage for Wuysang’s heroics, before Nattakarn Muangboon made a sloppy pass in a play off a timeout that doomed the Thais.
The scores:
INDONESIA 60 – Kurniawan 17, Dhyaksa 9, Grahita 9, Sitepu 9, Wuysang 7, Lakudu 4, Pratama 3, Sitorus 2, Nugroho 0
THAILAND 59 – Ananti 24, P. Klahan 10, Chanthachon 6, C. Klahan 5, Samerjai 5, Sunthonsiri 4, Muangboon 3, Dasom 2, Jaisanuk 0, Ghogar 0
Quarterscores: 11-18, 26-29, 45-39, 60-59
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