Pinoy cagers too much for Thais

KUALA LUMPUR (Via Globe Telecoms) — The Philippine "Showtime" at the MABA Stadium ran for the third time last night as the Nationals walloped the Thais, 94-65, and inched closer to the 21st SEA Games basketball gold medal.

Ranged against a team many thought the team would pose the toughest challenge here, the Nationals pushed themselves hard from the start for the rout that practically sealed their title defense in the biennial meet.

The Philippines was the only team left unbeaten going into the final three playdates of the tourney after dealing the Thais the loss and the host Malaysia suffering a four-point defeat at the hands of Indonesia Tuesday night.

The RP Ladies, however, took a dent in their own campaign as they fell short of their bid against the Malaysians, 71-74, earlier in the day.

They have to beat the Thais and the Indonesians in their last two games to get a shot at the championship.

The RP men easily got past the 1999 silver medallists – the Thais – but coach Boycie Zamar cautioned his players that the battle was far from over even as he emphasized the traumatic experience the Nationals had at the hands of the Malaysians in 1989 .

"Lahat ng pang-gugulang gagawin niyang mga iyan," said Zamar whose charges play Singapore Saturday then, finally Malaysia Sunday.

Against the Thais, the Nationals, again, ran like the efficient Putra trains in this city, leading from start to finish.

Like in their first two games, they broke the game opebn early, this tiome starting wuith a full-court pressing defense and running the breaks at every opportunity on the other end.

Thus, entering the final eight minute mark of the first quarter, the Philippines was already enjoying an 18-point lead, 28-10. They closed the first quarter at 28-14, the first half at 47-27 and the third period at 62-41.

Zamar thought the Thais would outscore them from the longcourt but the Nationals instead frolicked from beyond the arc, making nine, including one at the buzzer made by Eddie Laure.

Laure and Ercito Victolero paced the team with l8 apiece. They combined for six three pointers. Even slotman Romel Adducul hit a three-pointer, making it 91-63 in the closing seconds.