HERE are the top sports news from Thursday.
Sports news August 3
Gilas Pilipinas vs Iran team China pocket tournament recap
Gilas Pilipinas aced its first test in its China pocket tournament, rolling past an Iran team, 76-65, on Thursday night in Guangdong.
The national pool, preparing for this month’s 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup, shrugged off the absence of a naturalized player and Kai Sotto to get a win in its first game in the WUS International Basketball Tournament.
Dwight Ramos and Jamie Malonzo shone early, while AJ Edu, Calvin Oftana, and Rhenz Abando had their moments for Gilas, which missed Jordan Clarkson.
June Mar Fajardo, Roger Pogoy, and CJ Perez proved steady in the middle quarters to help Gilas maintain the advantage.
Gilas will try to go for back-to-back wins on Friday when it tangles with Senegal.
Yeng Guiao glad to keep RoS top picks
Yeng Guiao is delighted to keep Rain or Shine’s two first-round picks in the PBA Draft next month.
The Elasto Painters coach received the full authority from team owners Raymond Yu and Terry Que, saying Guiao can do whatever he wants with the No. 3 and 4 picks in the upcoming rookie proceedings.
It was unlike in the 2021 rookie draft when Guiao was still the head coach of NLEX, which had also owned the same third and fourth overall picks in the Season 46 Draft.
But while NLEX kept the No. 3 pick and used it to tap wingman Calvin Oftana, the Road Warriors curiously gave up the No. 4 selection in a three-team trade consummated just three days prior to the draft proceedings.
The precious pick ended up with NLEX sister team TNT, a squad that didn’t own a first-round pick then, and used the selection to draft highly touted Fil-Am guard Mikey Williams.
Why Justine Baltazar is missing from Gilas pool
Don’t blame Justine Baltazar for being absent from the Gilas Pilipinas pool that’s preparing for the 2023 Fiba Basketball World Cup.
It turns out the amateur star received no invite from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to take part in the camp despite the logic and clamor to have the versatile 6-foot-8 forward on board, according to his patron in Dennis “Delta” Pineda.
“Hindi (siya tinawag)," said the Pampanga governor who helped the careers of PBA stars Calvin Abueva, Ian Sangalang, Arwind Santos and Encho Serrano, to name a few.
"Sayang nga. Pero marami naman yatang big man 'yung Gilas ngayon eh, ano?” he added.
Gilas could’ve used someone like Baltazar, especially now that the pool is shorthanded up front with Carl Tamayo begging off early and Kai Sotto's participation still unsure up until this time.
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