FIBA World Cup 2023:

Dominican Republic edges out valiant Gilas Pilipinas, 87-81

August 25, 2023 – Philippine Arena

Dominican Republic edges out valiant Gilas Pilipinas, 87-81
player photo courtesy of FIBA
FIBA World Cup 2023: BOCAUE, Bulacan – Gilas Pilipinas put up a valiant fight but fell short in their first game of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, losing 87-81 to the Dominican Republic in front of a record-breaking crowd of 38,115 at the Philippine Arena.

➤ NBA star Karl-Anthony Towns led the charge for the Dominican Republic, scoring 26 points and hauling in 10 boards, while guard Victor Liz had 18 points and 6 rebounds. Philippine NBA star Jordan Clarkson put up an impressive 28 points for the Gilas with 7 rebounds and 7 assists, while PBA legend Junemar Fajardo contributed 16 points and hauled in 7 rebounds.

➤ The Philippine basketball team led in rebounds, hauling 32 total to the Dominicans 26, but DR massacred them on the offensive boards, with the Dominicans enjoying a 17 to 3 advantage. The Dominicans also exploited Pilipinas basketball’s turnovers, scoring 26 off 19 Gilas turnovers, and fared better in second-chance points, making 15 against 2 of the Philippines.

➤ Both teams were evenly matched throughout the game, but it ultimately turned into a rivalry between the NBA’s finest. Despite Clarkson’s monstrous 28-point effort, he fouled out in the waning minutes of the fourth quarter, with Karl-Anthony Towns prevailing over him. Gilas was down 79-76 with only 3:32 remaining when he was disqualified for an offensive foul. It came after several questionable calls that hurt Gilas’ chances. In contrast, despite having shooting woes all night, Towns made most of his charity lane freebies, making 15 of 16 freethrow attempts.

➤ AJ Edu made a good account for himself, making a lot of key defensive stops to limit the effectiveness of Towns, while Kiefer Ravena also fared well in the minutes he was on the court, as did Dwight Ramos, who backstopped Gilas with 13 big points.

➤ The Gilas Pilipinas basketball team will next face a dangerous Angola squad that caused an early scare in their first-game loss to powerhouse Italy, 67-81. The tip-off between Group A rivals begins this Sunday at the Philippine Arena.

Game Scores:
Quarters: 22-18; 42-42; 66-64; 87-81.

dominican republic nt: 87

Towns 26, Liz 18, Feliz 12, Montero 6, Delgado 6, Peña 5, Vargas 5, Figueroa 5, Mendoza 2, Quiñones 2, Solano 0, Suero DNP.

gilas pilipinas: 81

Clarkson 28, Fajardo 16, Ramos 13, Edu 7, Pogoy 6, Thompson 5, Ravena 2, Abando 2, Aguilar 2, Sotto 0, Malonzo 0, Perez DNP.

Posted on August 26, 2023 - Philippine Arena

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Asian Games 2018:

ROS Pilipinas flattens Syria, 109-55

August 31, 2018 – GBK Hall

Asian Games News 2018: ROS Pilipinas flattened Syria, 109-55 and copped 5th place in the 2018 Asian Games basketball this Friday at the GBK Hall in Jakarta. Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jordan Clarkson stamped his class by chalking-up 29 points, 6 dimes and 4 boards, while Fil-German Christian Standhardinger chimed-in 27 buckets.

Notes:

➤ The Philippines led by as much as 26 points at the half, 60-34.

James Yap suited-up once more and ended-up with 9 markers. Yap did not play in the battle against Japan and South Korea due to an apparent ankle injury.

Clarkson is set to go back to the NBA to begin training for the upcoming season with the post-Lebron era Cavaliers.

ROS Pilipinas failed to get to the medal rounds after the heart-breaking loss to nemesis South Korea in the Asiad quarterfinals.

➤ The fifth place finish of the Philippine basketball team is an upgrade from 2014 (Incheon) when they placed 7th. RP Five fared better at 4th place in 2002 (Busan) and last bagged a bronze medal courtesy of the PBA Centennial team in 1998 (Bangkok).

Game Scores:
Quarters: 38-16, 60-34, 91-44, 109-55.

ros pilipinas: 109

Clarkson 29, Standhardinger 27, Taulava 11, Pringle 10, Yap 9, Belga 6, Erram 5, Tiu 5, Ahanmisi 3, Norwood 2, Lee Dalistan 2, Almazan 0.

syria nt: 55

Aljabi 23, Bakar 9, Saddir 6, Al Ghamian 6, Alhamwi 6, Kasaballi 2, Al Osh 2, Idelbi 0, Khouri 0.

Posted on September 1, 2018 - GBK Hall Jakarta

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Asian Games 2018:

ROS Pilipinas blasts Japan 8, 113-80

August 28, 2018 – GBK Hall

Asian Games News 2018: ROS Pilipinas blasted Japan 8, 113-80, to register their first victory together with Jordan Clarkson this Tuesday at GBK Hall in the 2018 Asian Games in Palembang Jakarta Indonesia. Fil-German Christian Stanhardinger starred for Pilipinas Basketball with 27 points and 13 rebounds, while NBA’s Clarkson added 22 markers, 6 rebounds and 9 assists.

Notes:

Paul Lee Dalistan also anchored the Philippines backcourt with his 17 buckets, while Stanley Pringle chimed-in 9 points and 7 assists.

➤ The Philippine basketball team shot 12 of 25 (48%) from the three point line, while Japan made 11 of 31 (35%) treys. The Pinoys also outrebounded their East Asian neighbors 38 against 25 boards.

➤ The depleted Japan national team fielded only 8 players after losing 4 of its’ stars due to suspension. Taichi Nakamura led Akatsuki five with 16 markers and 11 dimes, while Naoya Kumagae added 15 points.

➤ Rain or Shine Pilipinas will next face Syria this coming Friday at 6:30 PM in the classification battle for 5th place. RP Five is now 2-2 in the Asian Games.

Posted August 29, 2018 - GBK Hall Jakarta Indonesia

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Asian Games 2018:

South Korea eliminates fiery ROS Pilipinas, 92-81

August 27, 2018 – GBK Hall

Asian Games 2018: South Korea eliminated Rain or Shine Pilipinas, 92-81 at the GBK Hall in the 2018 Asian Games this Monday in Jakarta. Ricardo Ratliffe led the furious Korean run with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 4 assists, while Heo Ilyoung and Kim Suhnyung both contributed 17 markers apiece.

Notes:

➤ The game was close up until halfway of the fourth canto, when the Koreans assaulted with their three point bombs.

➤ Costly turnovers and defensive lapses snatched the game away from the mighty Filipino squad, as ROS Pilipinas squandered possession after possession by giving-up 13 turnovers. They were also outrebounded by the Koreans who hauled 45 boards compared to Philippines’ 40.

➤ The choice of players of coach Yeng Guiao also costed the Philippines ultimately, as Beau Belga proved ineffective against the beefier Ratliffe. The Pinoys were at a hefty disadvantage given players like Junemar Fajardo or Greg Slaughter could have shored up the Filipino frontline.

Cleveland Cavaliers’ Jordan Clarkson made 25 buckets and 8 caroms for the losing Filipinos, but was severely limited at the half when he scored only 4 points. Christian Stanhardinger meanwhile accounted for 16 points and 9 rebounds.

➤ Pinoy guards Stanley Pringle and Paul Lee Dalistan also dropped 14 and 11 markers each.

➤ Despite Pilipinas Basketball bowing out of competition and not winning a medal, they still presented a respectable performance given they only had a few days of practice and preparation.

➤ Korea made effective use of clogging the driving lanes and double team defense to nullify the penetration drive of Clarkson. The SoKors also stole the ball 9 times.

➤ At the half, the Philippines shot better from the three point line where the Koreans are dreaded. The Filipinos made 7 of 17 (41%) treys versus Korea’s 5 of 16 (31%). Lee, Pringle, Chris Tiu and Gabe Norwood all shot treys before the half ended.

➤ The Philippines is now effectively out of the medal rounds and will be relegated to the classification rounds.

Game Scores:
Quarters: 22-18, 42-44, 64-65, 92-81.

south korea: 92

Ratliffe 30, Heo I. 17, Kim S. 17, Lee S. 11, Jeon 9, Heo u. 6, Lee J. 1, Park C. 0, Choi 0.

ros pilipinas: 81

Clarkson 25, Stanhardinger 16, Pringle 14, Lee Dalistan 11, Almazan 7, Norwood 3, Tiu 3, Belga 3, Erram 0, Taulava 0.

Posted on August 27, 2018 - GBK Hall Jakarta Indonesia

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Asian Games 2018:

China narrowly escapes Gilas Pilipinas, 82-80

August 21, 2018 – GBK Hall Palembang

Asian Games News 2018: China narrowly escaped Gilas Pilipinas, 82-80, to conclude their Group D battle in the Palembang Asian Games 2018 this Tuesday in Jakarta Indonesia. Zhou Qi led China with 25 points, 12 rebounds and 7 blocks, while Wang Zhelin added 13 buckets and 7 boards.

Notes:

Jordan Clarkson led the mighty Filipino offensive but fell short due to cramps in the waning seconds. He finished with 28 monstrous markers, 8 caroms and 4 assists. Clarkson also made 5 of 13 three point shots.

Christian Stanhardinger also contributed 18 points and 8 caroms, while Stanley Pringle made 14 buckets and 4 rebounds.

China out-rebounded the Philippines, 35 boards against 31. However, the Pinoys shot better from the rainbow country making 11 of 34 (32%) three point bombs, against the Great Wall’s 7 of 29 (24%) treys.

The Philippine basketball team will next face South Korea in the upcoming Quarterfinal round.

Game Scores:
Quarters: 20-12, 36-31, 59-57, 82-80.

china: 82

Zhou 25, Wang 13, Abudurexiti 12, Zhao 11, Ding 7, Sun 6, Liu 5, Fang 2, Dong 1.

gilas pilipinas: 80

Clarkson 28, Stanhardinger 18, Pringle 14, Dalistan Lee 10, Erram 6, Almazan 2, Belga 2, Taulava 0, Yap 0, Norwood 0, Ahanmisi 0.

Posted on August 21, 2018 - GBK Hall Palembang Jakarta Indonesia

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Asian Games 2018:

Gilas Pilipinas wallops Kazakhstan, 96-59

August 16, 2018 – Jakarta

Pilipinas Basketball News 2018: Gilas Pilipinas walloped Kazakhstan, 96-59, to begin it’s campaign in the Asian Games 2018 this Thursday at GBK Hall in Jakarta. Stanley Pringle led the merciless Filipino assault with his 18 points and 4 rebounds, while Christian Stanhardinger added 15 markers and 5 boards.

Notes:

James Yap also added 13 buckets and 6 caroms, while Paul Lee Dalistan made 10 points.

Anton Bykov led the losing Kazakhstan with 13 points and 5 rebounds.

➤ The Philippine basketball team stole the ball 16 times and caused 22 turnovers to the former Soviet Union country. RP Five also shot better with 23 of 39 (59%) fieldgoal clip versus 13 of 32 (41%) of the Central Asian nation, and shot the threes at 12 of 39 (31%) to Kazakhstan’s 5 of 28 (18%).

Jordan Clarkson just arrived in time to watch the Filipino game courtside, but did not suit-up as he just barely arrived in Indonesia by plane.

Gilas Pilipinas next campaign will be opposite a powerhouse China squad led by Guo Ailun, Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang this Tuesday August 21.

Posted August 16, 2018 - Jakarta, Indonesia

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Pilipinas Basketball:

NBA changes mind, allows Clarkson stint to Asiad

August 14, 2018 – Manila

Pilipinas Basketball News 2018: The National Basketball Association finally heeded the massive call for reconsideration of its earlier decision to bar Filipino American Jordan Clarkson from playing for the Philippine basketball team. In a surprise twist, Clarkson is now officially part of the 12-man Gilas Pilipinas line-up, and will fly as early as Thursday for the battle against Kazakhstan.

Notes:

Clarkson will also be tasked as the flag-bearer for the Philippines delegation during the opening of the Asian Games this coming Saturday.

Don Trollano, who’s been in and out of the Filipino line-up will again be replaced by Clarkson this after the surprise announcement by the American professional basketball league.

The Philippines Asian Games chef de mission Richard Gomez and Coach Yeng Guiao both confirmed the developments to Rappler and Inquirer.

Gomez also intimated to Rappler that they made multiple appeals to the NBA to change their decision on Clarkson.

Gilas Pilipinas will now play with a core of Rain or Shine players and select PBA cagers along with Cleveland Cavalier’s Clarkson.

Posted August 15, 2018 - Manila Time

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

Pilipinas Basketball:

NBA stops Clarkson Asiad stint, accused of partiality

August 13, 2018 – Manila

Pilipinas Basketball News 2018: The NBA – National Basketball Association officially stopped Fil-Am star Jordan Clarkson‘s Asiad stint, but was accused of partiality as it allowed China’s Zhou Qi. The Philippine basketball team will now brave the Asian Games sans Clarkson, a legitimate NBA star.

Notes:

➤ The NBA officially declared that Cleveland Cavaliers Clarkson will not be allowed to play in the Asian games citing their agreement with FIBA.

➤ “The NBA’s agreement with FIBA stipulates that NBA players can participate in the Olympics, the FIBA Basketball World Cup, Continental Cup competitions, and associated qualifying tournament. Because the Asian Games are not one of those competitions, NBA players are unable to participate. In accordance with the NBA’s agreement with FIBA, Jordan is welcome to represent the Philippines in the agreed-upon competitions,” stated NBA spokesman Tim Frank.

➤ However, this decision was criticized heavily as the NBA clearly showed double standard as it allowed China’s Qi to play for China in the Asiad, despite Qi being part of the Houston Rockets roster.

➤ POC Secretary General Patrick Gregorio couldn’t hide his dismay over the NBA’s position, “I am at a loss for words. All I can say is ‘NBA, YOU BROKE OUR HEARTS’. You broke the hearts of 100 million Filipinos, We will never forget this.”

➤ “We were one clearance away… from a dear friend of the Filipino people, The NBA. Or so we thought,” added Gregorio.

➤ SBP President Al Panlilio also expressed his disappointment after learning that the NBA allowed Zhou Qi to play, “Of course, very disappointed. I hope rule applies to all consistently.”

➤ Additionally, Special Assistant to the President Bong Go was quoted “While we respect their authority over their players, I cannot help but express my dismay over how one seemingly inconsistent rule allowed them to disregard a plea of a whole nation, Sana po walang double-standard at sana man lang, may puso ang NBA sa kanilang ginawang desisyon, lalong-lao na kung ang nakasalalay ay ang basketball hopes and dreams ng isang buong bansa.”

Coach Yeng Guiao may now opt to continue going to the Asiad with only 11 players as Clarkson was part of the original 12-man line-up. It will be up to Olympic Council of Asia if they will allow Don Trollano as a replacement.

➤ The Filipinos fielded a new squad after it lost majority of it’s players due to the recent FIBA suspension.

➤ The 2018 Asiad line-up consists of Chris Tiu, Raymund Almazan, Maverick Ahinmisi, Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, James Yap, Paul Lee, Stanley Pringle, Christian Stanhardinger, Asi Taulava and Poy Erram.

➤ RP Five will battle Kazakhstan this Sunday, August 16 to begin its Asiad campaign.

Posted August 13, 2018 - Manila

Written by Rock Punzalan for Philippine Basketball News Team

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