DOHA, Qatar--Ang pagpasok sa semifinal round ang pangunahing layunin ng Smart Gilas Pilipinas sa kanilang paglahok sa 21st FIBA-Asia Champions Cup.
Subalit bunga ng ilang injury, mahihirapan ang mga Nationals na talunin ang bigating Al Riyadi ng Lebanon sa kanilang quarterfinal duel dito sa Al Gharafa Sports Club Hall.
“I think it’s very important that we go to the quarterfinals and play Lebanon. We have a one-day rest, we have played four days in a row, we have lot of problems with injuries,” wiika ni Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman.
“Against Lebanon, everybody here will see how Smart Gilas really play because until now, we didn’t play good, not the Smart Gilas that played in Dubai, Australia, Serbia and the US. We had some problems, we had to add some new players but I think its time to play really good basketball because these great fans who are watching us here deserve to see one better Smart Gilas,” dagdag pa nito.
Nakarating sa quarterfinals ang mga Pinoy nang malagpasan si 7-foot-4 Priest Lauderdale at ang Duhok ng Iraq, 76-74, mula sa hook shot ni Serbian import Milan Vucicevic sa nasabing nine-day import-laced tournament.
Bago ito, natalo muna ang Smart Gilas sa host Al Rayyan ng Qatar, 58-86, Astana Tigers ng Kazakhstan, 71-77, sa overtime at defending champion Mahram ng Iran, 72-86.
Ipaparada ng Al Riyadi sina Americans CJ Giles at Nate Johnson at ang scorer na si Fadi El-Khatib.
Sa iba pang quarterfinal pairings, haharapin ng ASU ng Jordan ang Astana Tigers ng Kazakhstan, habang lalabanan ng Al Rayyan ng Qatar ang Al Hilal ng Saudi Arabia at sasagupain ng Mahram ng Iran ang Al Jalaa ng Syria.