SMART Sinag Pilipinas team captain Kevin Alas admitted the team still has to play as one cohesive unit two games into the 27th Southeast Asian Games in Myanmar.
“Nagkakakilanlan pa rin. Kasi hindi naman talaga nagkaroon ng chance ang team mag-ensayo together ng matagal. At least, bumawi sa depensa yung team,” said Alas, who failed to suit up for the second straight game against Cambodia on Tuesday due to flu and tonsilitis.
The Filipinos routed the Cambodians,107-57, for their second straight win.
The Cambodians, however, were quick to expose Sinag’s weakness as they registered nine steals and forced the defending champions to commit 17 turnovers.
But the game against Cambodia was a big improvement from the team’s opening match against Singapore as the Filipinos came out with guns blazing to keep their unblemished record.
“Talagang nag-focus lang `yung team. Inilabas `yung tunay na laro. `Yung una kasi medyo nanggigil kontra Singapore. Opening game kasi eh. Buti naman naka-adjust agad,” said the son of Alaska deputy coach Louie Alas.
“Hindi pa ako pinapalaro ng team doctor. Gusto ko na nga. Pero inaalagaan naman na ako, Hopefully makahabol agad pag pwede na,” Alas added.
Except for Alas, coach Jong Uichico utilized all of the Sinag players.
Almost all the players Uichico fielded scored in double figures led by Far Eastern University star Marc Belo with 17 points, while Ronald Pascual chipped in 16.
Other players who finished in double digits were Bobby Ray Parks, Jr., Kiefer Ravena, Jerico Cruz, and Garvo Lanete who combined for 44 markers.
The Filipinos shot well from beyond the arc, tallying a high 48 percent shooting compared to the 21 percent of the Cambodians.
Sinag made 47 percent of its shots as against the 18 percent of its rivals, which only made 22 of 121 field goals.
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