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Pinoy 5 beats India, stays alive for q'finals berth


GUANGZHOU -- As expected, the Philippine-Smart Gilas team cruised past India, 78-57, to claim its second win in the 16th Asian Games men’s basketball competition late Sunday night at the Yingdong Gymnasium. But the biggest news was Qatar’s 88-87 victory over erstwhile unbeaten Japan in Group F, putting the Filipinos in a must-win situation against Chinese Taipei in order to advance to the knockout quarterfinal stage. Qatar’s victory created a three-way tie for the No. 1 spot along with Iran, which escaped past Chinese Taipei, 73-72, for a 3-1 win-loss slate each. The Philippines carries a 2-2 slate while Chinese Taipei has a 1-3 card. A win by the Taiwanese over the PHL 5 will eliminate the Filipinos in the basketball competitions. “Now, it’s a must win for us," said Philippine team head coach Rajko Toroman. The Qataris will face the Iranians in the other game. A loss by Qatar coupled by a victory by the Philippines will enable the Filipinos to secure the No. 3 spot and a likely quarterfinals showdown with South Korea. The Philippines beat Qatar by 22 points, but lost to Iran, which makes it unlikely for Qatar to pull off a big upset against the reigning Asiad champions. South Korea bowed to host China, 66-76, in the battle of unbeaten teams in Group E. In their game against India, the Filipinos showed a display of balanced firepower. JV Casio fired a game-high 18 points on 6-of-12 shooting, but it was Chris Tiu’s explosion in the third period that set the tone for the easy victory. Tiu, who netted 13 markers, drilled in a three-pointer and sparked a decisive 26-7 run for a commanding 57-37 lead for the Filipinos, 2:36 left in the third period. The PHL 5 outscored India in the third canto, 32-11. Asi Taulava and Chris Lutz each tallied 10 points for the Philippines. Sol Mercado did not play due to injuries, same with Japeth Aguilar, who will not see action the rest of the tournament due to a hurting knee. - KY, RCJ, GMANews.TV
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