GAME SUNDAY
(Spark Arena)
10 a.m. – New Zealand vs. Philippines
CHINESE Taipei forward Mohammad Gadiaga pushed the ball in a fast break play off a sorry missed from Gilas Pilipinas naturalized star Justin Brownlee and found Chu Hsiang Lu, who fired a confident three-pointer with the game on the line last night.
Showing it wanted itmore, Chinese Taipei fashioned a 91-84 victory over erstwhile uneaten Gilas in Group B of the third window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
Like what they did all game long, the Taiwanese punished the Filipino cagers with long bombs—and fittingly, Lu boomed in the backbreaking triple in the last 47.1 seconds that gave the hosts an 89-84 cushion.
National coach Tim Cone gave their foes plaudits for “keeping their composure.
“Well, I thought the Chinese Taipei team was very impressive. We made a couple of runs off them, we were hoping they would crack,” Cone said. “But they never did. Kept their composure. Kept making big shots.
“Very impressive win by them. They well deserve it,” he added.
Heroes were aplenty for Chinese Taipei led by Gadiaga who shone with 21 points and four rebounds while Ting-Chien Lin added 21 markers, seven boards, and five assists.
Lu also had 18 points on four treys while Chien-Hao Ma got 14 and four as the Taiwanese improved to 2-3 while handing the Philippine five its first loss of the no-bearing round for a 4-1 mark.
Gilas has long bagged a slot in the Asia Cup set in August in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Chinese Taipei went into the match determined to get one over the Philippines—and it showed after it led by as much as 13 points.
The third placers in each of the six groups will make it to a qualifying tourney for the four remaining berths for the Asia Cup.
The Taiwanese also avenged a 53-106 rout at the hands of Gilas when they first met in February last year.
It also marked the first time Chinese Taipei won against Gilas since pulling off an 84-79 decision in the FIBA Asia Championships in Manila in 2013.
Brownlee sizzled with 39 points, six caroms, and eight dimes for Gilas while Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu contributed 15 and 10 markers, respectively.
For Cone and his charges, the best way to redeem themselves is to finish the qualifiers with another triumph against an expected vengeful New Zealand side this Sunday, Feb. 23, in Auckland.
