Indonesia triumphs, awaits Johnson green light

Indonesian men’s basketball team. PBA IMAGES

Indonesia posted a 71-50 rout of Singapore to survive its first Southeast Asia Basketball Association Championship game as it awaits the go-ahead from Fiba Asia to allow naturalized player Jamarr Johnson to play.

Mario Wuysang hit 7-of-9 triples and finished with 20 points to lead the Indonesians.

Johnson was the Rookie of the Year and MVP in the Indonesian league last season.

“I was notified this morning [that I couldn’t play]; it was shocking,” Johnson, a 6-foot-4 swingman, said. “I felt kind of disappointed at first but, they say, everything takes time.”

According to Johnson, Fiba Asia is waiting for some documents from USA Basketball to clear him, something that is even more surprising because he had “never played for the US national team.” —MUSONG R. CASTILLO