Gilas SEA Games pool has 11 PBA players
Kevin Alas returns to national duty.
ELEVEN in the 16-man pool for the Philippine national basketball team to the Southeast Asian Games are PBA players.
June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Matthew Wright, Kevin Alas, Robert Bolick, Kib Montalbo, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Poy Erram, Mo Tautuaa and Isaac Go are part of the squad going to Hanoi for the SEAG set in May.
Joining them are Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Will Navarro, Francis “Lebron” Lopez and Caelum Harris.
The 12-man lineup will not be finalized until before the games set in the second week of May. All 16 are expected to join trip to Vietnam.
“We plan to bring all 16 to Vietnam if it is possible,” said Reyes, who announced the pool following the TNT-NorthPort game at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. “For now, we can’t name a Final 12 roster but that is the pool.”
Mo for Mikey
Mo Tautuaa back with Gilas
WITH naturalized Filipino citizen Ange Kouame out of the Philippine squad as he focuses on Ateneo’s title-retention bid in the UAAP, Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes has tapped Mo Tautuaa for the Southeast Asian Games.
Only one naturalized player is being allowed this time in the SEA Games, and Mikey Williams was expected to make his debut with Gilas.
But coach Chot Reyes said the team needs someone to match up with other countries’ naturalized players.
“We can only bring one naturalized player and we felt we need size because we have reports of the other countries having big naturalized players,” said Reyes. “We thought that it will be best for us to tap Mo Tautuaa instead."
In the 2019 SEAG hosed by the Philippines, two naturalized players were allowed each team, with Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle taking the spots.
TNT nips Northport
MIkey Williams and the Tropang Giga end up at No. 3
MIKEY Williams came up with the big baskets in overtime after struggling from the field early as TNT ended Northport’s hot streak with a 106-101 victory in the PBA Governors Cup on Friday at the Araneta Coliseum.
Williams had 28 points, while Aaron Fuller and Jayson Castro scored 15 each as the Tropang Giga claimed the No. 3 seeding in the quarterfinals above Meralco, which also ended the eliminations with a 7-4 win-loss record.
Jamel Artis had 39 points and 13 rebounds, while Robert Bolick scored 22 for Northport, which had won five straight.
The Batang Pier now face Phoenix in a do-or-die game for the final spot in the quarterfinals.
Bolts take No. 4 spot
Tony Bishop and the Bolts still end up in the top half of the quarterfinal field.
TONY Bishop scored 35 and pulled down 13 rebounds as Meralco ripped Phoenix, 109-90, in the PBA Governors’ Cup on Friday.
Allein Maliksi added 27 points as the Bolts finished the eliminations with a 7-4 record, taking the No. 4 spot in the quarterfinals.
Meralco holds twice-to-beat advantage over San Miguel, which also ended with a 7-4 win-loss record for fifth spot, in the round of eight.
Du’vaughn Maxwell had 26 points and 12 rebounds for Phoenix, which has a 5-6 record, same as Northport.
The Fuel Masters and Batang Pier clash for the final spot in the quarterfinals.
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