Gilas stuns PHL Cup champion Texters

Smart Gilas Pilipinas took the best the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) could offer in its debut game in the Commissioner’s Cup. And the Nationals passed the test with flying colors. The guest team unleashed a big scoring run in the stretch to pull the rug from under Philippine Cup champion Talk 'N Text, 103-98, for a rousing debut in the import-laden meet Friday night at the Ynares Center in Antipolo. Marcus Douthit, the towering American who is a candidate for naturalization, teamed up with locals Chris Tiu, JV Casio, Aldrech Ramos, and Filipino-American guard Marcus Lassiter to outscore the Texters, 15-3, to erase a seven-point deficit and grab a 99-94 lead the Nationals would never relinquish. The 6-foot-11 Douthit finished with 16 points to pace Smart Gilas, and more importantly, pounded the boards for 26 rebounds, registering the highest output ever in the league since Lee Benson posted the same number in the 2008 Fiesta Conference. "It's nice to start out with a win," said Douthit, who also had five assists and five blocked shots. National team coach Rajko Toroman was proud of the way his team played, especially since they beat a ball club which just a few weeks ago earned bragging rights as the best all-Filipino squad in Asia's pioneering pro league. "It was a big win for us because we won against a champion," said Toroman. "They are a very respectable team, and probably they are still not in shape. "But we showed character in the end, we came back, and I think we deserved to win the game." Lassiter also had 16 points, with five assists and two steal. Ramos and Tiu had 15 each, while Casio finished with 14. The Nationals join Barangay Ginebra, Alaska and Rain or Shine on top of the standings. Smart Gilas already showed a glimpse of what it could do when it raced to an early 17-3 lead while holding Talk 'N Text without a field goal in the first five minutes of play. Jason Castro's lay-up finally ended the drought for the Texters. But the Philippine Cup champs battled their way back and took control of the match early in the final period when it jumped off to an 86-78 lead following a 6-0 run. The Texters were still ahead, 91-84, when the Nationals triggered that game-changing run in the homestretch. Paul Harris scored 25 points and had 11 rebounds to show the way for the Texters. – JVP, KY, GMA News