(UPDATE 2) GUANGZHOU—Coach Rajko Toroman has promised a different Smart Gilas national team in the quarterfinals.
The transformation should happen overnight when the RP five tackles dangerous South Korea today in the basketball competition of the 16th Asian Games.
Smart Gilas sealed the No. 3 spot in Group F and arranged a crossover quarterfinal clash with South Korea, which ranked second in Group E after defending champion China topped their bracket.
The face-off took shape after the Nationals avoided a disastrous finish in the games by eliminating Chinese Taipei from the medal playoffs, 82-73, on Monday night.
“Tonight, we showed our real potential so I expect a new team in the quarterfinals,” said Toroman.
Asi Taulava struck hard with a monstrous effort of 18 points and 12 rebounds, Kelly Williams had eight points and 13 boards and Mac Baracael added 11, all of them inside the paint as the Filipinos bullied the Taiwanese underneath.
Shooting was also satisfactory for Smart Gilas as Marcio Lassiter and Chris Tiu knocked down three triples each to finish with 18 and 15 points.
Smart Gilas made 25 of 47 shots from the perimeter and drilled eight three-pointers, the first time in the games that the RP team went over 50 percent in two-point shooting.
The defensive effort the Nationals threw on the Taiwanese shooters, however, proved to be the key.
“We rotated on their shooters and they were surprised,” said Toroman.
“There were no open shots and we forced them to shoot from the dribble. I think that was the key of the game.”
The usually hot-shooting Taiwanese were 6 of 27 from beyond the arc with Lin Chih Chieh missing six of his nine three-point attempts. The 6-foot-4 Lin, Taiwan’s top gunner, sank most of his threes the past games.
Defensively, Toroman said it will practically be the same ploy against the South Koreans, whose offense is also built around their long-range snipers.
“I’m very optimistic against Korea. I expect it will be a good matchup for us,” said Toroman. “To be quite honest, I haven’t scouted Korea yet because they’re in another group. But I know they are strong because of the shooters.”
Korean guards Park Chan Hee and Yang Donggeun Yang don’t dribble too much and could accurately hit those threes when left open.
Even forwards Cho Seung-Min, Kim Seong-Chul, Ham Jihoon and 6-foot-8 center Lee Seung-Jun have a decent touch from the outside.
But unlike the Taiwanese, the Koreans have a bigger frontline rotation, which includes 7-foot-3 Ha Seung Jin and 6-9 Kim Joo Sung.
Should Smart Gilas succeed, it will face the winner of the quarterfinal match between Group F top qualifier Japan and
fourth-ranked North Korea (Group E) in the semifinals.
China takes on No. 4 Qatar (Group F) and second-seeded Iran (Group F) tackles Jordan (No.3, Group E) in the other quarterfinal pairings.
From a 42-40 halftime edge, Smart Gilas blew the game wide open on Taulava’s power moves in the paint and successive threes by Lassiter and Tiu.
JV Casio’s drive made it a double-digit lead, 64-53, and Smart Gilas sustained the fire the rest of the way to finish the second round with a 3-2 record.
Taiwanese center Wu Tai Hao went into early foul trouble while the 6-foot-8 Tien Lei suffered a mild ankle sprain against Iran, allowing the 6-foot-9 Taulava to operate inside with hardly any resistance at all.
Scores:
PHILIPPINES 82—Taulava 18, Lassiter 18, Tiu 15, Baracael 11, Williams
8, Casio 7, Lutz 3, Barroca 2.
TAIPEI 73—Lin 21, Wu 20, Lee 19, Mao 7, Hung 5, Chien 1, Tien 0, Chen 0, Chou 0.
Quarters: 20-21, 42-40, 64-54, 82-73.
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