Photo by Tristan Tamayo
Gilas Pilipinas was unstoppable for the third straight game as it clobbered Malaysia, 106-51, in the 2017 Seaba Championship Sunday at Smart Araneta Coliseum.
For a change, the Philippines trailed for the first time in the tournament after Malaysia scored the first basket of the game on a Teo Kok Hou basket with 9:46 to play.
But Jayson Castro set June Mar Fajardo up for the quick retort, a three-point play that ignited 13 straight points for Gilas and triggered an avalanche of baskets for a 61-26 halftime lead.
Malaysia applied its learnings from the PBA D-League and dragged the Philippines to a physical game, but the offense just wasn’t there for the upset-conscious foes as Gilas continued torrid shooting and went 5 percent from the field.
The Philippines, which rose to 3-0, takes a break on Monday before playing Thailand on Tuesday.
“We knew that coming in, Malaysia is a very physical team. They are very tough. This is the team that played in the D-League and that’s where they learned how to get tough, to be physical. That’s why we were prepared for that,” said Gilas head coach Chot Reyes. “We told them these guys will get up in your grill and pressure you. We were looking for a lot of layups and backdoor cuts to counter their pressure.”
Andray Blatche led the balanced scoring for the Philippines, hitting 13 points, eight rebounds, five assists, a steal, and a block.
Troy Rosario added 13 markers, while Terrence Romeo and Matthew Wright both chipped in 12.
Castro also ended his quiet showing in the tournament and got 10 points, four rebounds, and three assists all in the first half.
Heng Yee Tong led the still winless Malaysia (0-3) with 12 points on a 4-of-6 shooting from threes, while Ting Chun Hong got 10 in the loss.
The scores:
PHILIPPINES 106 – Rosario 13, Blatche 13, Wright 12, Romeo 12, Pogoy 10, William 10, Abueva 9, Malicsi 7, Aguilar 7, Almazan 6, Fajardo 5, Jalalon 2.
MALAYSIA 51 – Heng 12, Ting 10, Liaw 8, Chin 6, Ang 5, Teo 5, Mak 2, Chan 1, Choong 1, Choo 1, Ong 0, Liew 0.
Quarters: 36-17, 61-26, 88-35, 106-51.