One pair met on the first day of eliminations. The other, on the last day. Tomorrow, they meet again to determine who goes on to the finals.
When the Jones Cup started, the unexpected withdrawal of South Africa brought about a reshuffling of first day opponents and the Philippines found themselves ranged against the two-time defending champion. Most expected an Iranian blowout. Instead, it was Team Pilipinas who dominated the ball game, coming away with an emphatic 73-59 victory.
But the element of surprise was on the side of Gilas then. After stumbling in the opening days, Iran has found its groove and has steadily been dominating their opponents.
The Iranians have seen how Korea and Jordan neutralized Marcus Douthit. Expect them to hack and slap at the Gilas center tomorrow, in an effort to throw him off his game.
But JV Casio's injury might be the even bigger story. A swollen knee has sidelined Casio and his playmaking skills will be sorely missed. It will be up to Mark Barroca and Chris Tiu to make up for Casio's playmaking and shotmaking.
The Gilas defense featuring Japeth Aguilar, Chris Lutz and Marcio Lassiter will be sorely tested tomorrow. They must step up big and provide some scoring punch if Gilas hopes to duplicate their earlier victory.
Going to the other game, there is simply not too much to be said. The Korean team is too big, too good, too experienced for the game Taiwanese. For Chinese Taipei to have a chance, Korea must have one of the worst games of their lives.
Stay tuned tomorrow as I will be bringing you updates all afternoon long.
No comments:
Post a Comment