PHL 5 faces Japan in crucial Group F match

GUANGZHOU, China – The Philippines-Smart Gilas five takes on unbeaten Japan on Friday in a must-win Group F match for the Filipinos in the 16th Asian Games men’s basketball competition at the Huangpu Gymnasium. Fresh from a morale-boosting 90-68 triumph over Qatar on Wednesday night, the PHL 5 faces another acid test against the Japanese, who are leading the group with a 2-0 slate following victories over Chinese-Taipei (63-57) and Iran (57-56). "We have a chance but it will be very difficult," said Philippines coach Rajko Toroman. "Japan is a very good team and I think they are the best in our group outside Iran but we will try." After dropping a 65-48 decision to the Iranians on Tuesday, the Filipino dribblers bounced back with a 22-point thrashing of the Qataris to stay on track for a spot in the quarterfinal stage. JV Casio led the country’s balanced scoring attack with 22 points on 8-of-17 shooting from the floor to lead the team to its first win over Qatar in a long while. The win was huge for Toroman and the Filipinos, as a loss would have meant the need to sweep their last three games to advance into the next round. After Japan, the Nationals will face India on Sunday and the Taiwanese on November 22. The top four teams in the six-team group will move on to the quarterfinals. That’s why the win over Qatar allowed Toroman a sigh of relief, as his Gilas crew stayed in contention for a better spot in their group. "The team now has more confidence," the Serbian mentor said. "But we need to take control of the rebounds because Japan is very good in transition." Leading the Japanese side are the Takeuchi twins – Joji and Kosuke – who both stand 6-foot-9 and play the forward spot. Former NBA campaigner Yuta Tabuse is also in the roster and will man the point for Japan. Out for the Japanese side are shooter Takuya Tawamura and 7-foot-2 slotman Fumihiko Aono. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV