GILAS Pilipinas seeks a quarterfinal berth on Monday afternoon when it plays China in the final group-stage game of the 20th Asian Games men’s basketball tournament.
Here is a preview:
CHINA VS. PHILIPPINES
When: Monday, September 14. 1 p.m. Nagoya time (12 noon Philippine time)
Where: Aichi International Arena
Repeat against China
Gilas Pilipinas faces China for the first time since their semifinal encounter in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou three years ago where Justin Brownlee lifted the national squad to a 77-76 win with his late heroics. There will be no Brownlee this time when they face China.
Numbers game
Gilas Pilipinas needs a win over China to clinch a quarterfinal berth, but a loss may be enough to give the all-PBA team passage to the knockout rounds, so long as it doesn't lose by 37 points or loss.
A loss, however, lines up Gilas in a quarterfinal showdown with Korea, which swept its group, including a win over host Japan on Sunday. The Koreans also beat the Filipinos in two friendlies in the run-up to the Nagoya Asiad.
Consistency in shooting
Gilas defeated Kazakhstan, 109-78, after shooting 16-of-29 from three-point range. Jerrick Ahanmisi and Robert Bolick combined for 11-of-17 shooting from threes in that game, numbers that are expected from a Gilasteam that has the firepower to light it up from the outside. All they need though is consistency, and another brilliant shooting night could give Gilas a chance.
Big China team
This undersized Gilas team will have to deal with a China squad that has an average height of 6-foot-7. The tallest of them all is 7-foot-3 Yu Jiahao, a 23-year-old center who is a former Rookie of the Year in the Chinese Basketball Association and plays professional basketball in Spain. Yu is averaging 11.5 points and 6.0 rebounds for China in the Asian Games.
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