Gilas Pilipinas is set to face India in their first match at the 2014 Asian Games on September 23, Tuesday.
The Indian team leads in Group B with a 2-1 record. Although they were tied with Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan with two wins, India advanced to the preliminary round due to a greater point differential. Gilas Philippines automatically qualified for the preliminary round which explains why they skipped the qualifying round which commenced on September 20, writes Smart Gilas Basketball. The Philippines is set to play against the Group B first-placer.
The two teams last met in the 2014 FIBA Asia Cup in July, where the Filipinos won with a final score of 70-65. At that time, Marcus Douthit dominated the boards with 12 rebounds and scored 14 points, while Paul Lee Dalistan led the team in scoring with 15 points and added 5 rebounds.
During the Asian Games' qualifying round, India had a dominating win over Palestine with a final score of 89-49. However, Saudi Arabia caused a big upset by winning over the Indians by six points. In their third game, India faced Kazakhstan and won by 19 points with a final score of 80-61, propelling them at the top of Group B. Some of the players to watch out for include point guard Joginder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi.
For Gilas Philippines, the key players are center Douthit, Dalistan and Jimmy Alapag. Douthit replaced Andray Blatche for the center position after the latter was deemed ineligible to play. Dalistan is expected to effectively contain Singh, preventing open-look passes and slashes towards the rim, while Alapag is seen to lead the Gilas with team captain skills and his dagger threes.
In an article by Bleacher Report, the winner of the Philippines versus India match will most likely make it to the quarterfinals. India has improved their frontcourt, which will pose a challenge to the smaller Philippine team.
Josh Reyes, assistant coach of team Philippines, said in a report by Rappler.com, "India is fast becoming a serious team in Asia. Their rotation of 5 big men 6'10 and over is solid!"
Overall, the Philippines is highly favored to win the game. They are particularly keen on facing and defeating their longtime nemesis, Iran.
The Gilas Philippines versus India game will commence at midnight ET. They will play at the Hwaseong Sports Complex Gymnasium in Incheon, South Korea. Live streaming will be available on Live.tensports.com and Asiangames.sports5.ph.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
