Reyes waiting for reinforcements

With injured guard Willie Miller back in Manila, national coach Chot Reyes said yesterday Jones Cup organizers will allow reinforcements to play in the Philippine basketball team’s remaining seven games in the nine-day, 10-team Taipei tournament.

Only eight players suited up for the Philippines against the Korean under-24 national squad last night. The outcome of the game was not settled at presstime.

The Philippines, sponsored by San Miguel Beer, and Korea were unbeaten after two contests. The Philippines beat Qatar, 82-71, last Saturday and Kazakhstan, 82-74, last Sunday. Korea defeated Kazakhstan, 89-69, and India, 92-73, to stay undefeated.

Philippine Basketball League (PBL) standouts Denok Miranda and Jondan Salvador were listed in Reyes’ original lineup but couldn’t leave with the rest of the team last Saturday because their visas were not ready.

Reyes said he’s hoping Miranda and Salvador will be issued Taiwan visas this morning so they can take the noon flight to Taipei and play against India at 4 this afternoon.

Another reinforcement in the wings is hotshot Ren-Ren Ritualo who strained his left calf muscle during the Global Hoops Summit in Las Vegas last week.

"Ren-Ren is testing his leg and will let me know (if he can still join the team)," said Reyes in a text. "We got in touch with Nic Belasco but he’s still sick. Our team is shaping up well but we will not hold up with only nine men with Korea, Australia and Japan playing full-court pressure defense. Denok and Jondan are still waiting for their visas due to the Monday holiday."

Miller elevated for an 18-foot jumper and landed badly on his right foot with 6:52 left in the second period against Kazakhstan. The shot went in to give the Philippines a 32-29 edge but Miller had to be rushed the hospital with a dislocated right ankle. He flew back to Manila yesterday.

Kazakhstan stormed back from a 14-point deficit to trim the margin to three, 76-73, with 1:23 to go. But the Philippines held on to win, 82-74, at the Taipei Physical Education College gym.

"We controlled them in the second half except perhaps for the run they had in the fourth quarter," said Reyes. "Our defense threw their rhythm off. And we did the little things that mattered. We dove for the loose balls, went up for the offensive rebounds."

Kerby Raymundo fouled out in the physical contest that avenged the Philippines’ 68-66 loss to Kazakhstan for the bronze medal at the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

Jay-Jay Helterbrand scored 17 points for the Philippines. Romel Adducul added 16, including 2-of-2 free throws that iced the game late in the fourth period. Asi Taulava shot 14. His three-point play capped a 17-4 surge that erected a 62-47 bulge for the Philippines in the third quarter.

Six players on the Kazakh squad saw action in the recent FIBA-Asia Champions Cup here — 6-1 Roman Muravyov, 6-10 Anton Ponomarev, 6-4 Ruslan Yargavliev, 6-3 Andrei Shpekht, 6-1 Yegor Biryulin and 6-7 Sergei Vdovin.

Kazakhstan’s head coach Alexei Yeropkin and assistant Vitaly Strebkov played at the Asian Games in Busan.

In the Champions Cup, the Philippines crushed Kazakhstan, 88-67.

The Philippines’ next games are against India today, Australia tomorrow, Japan on Thursday, Samara of Russia on Friday, Taiwan on Saturday and the US on Sunday.

Australia is represented by the Australian Institute of Sports team whose average age is 18 years old. The team"s top players are 6-6 Stephen Weigh, 6-foot Patrick Mills, 6-foot Ryan Kersten and 6-9 Aaron Baynes.

Japan’s national under-24 squad is coached by former national cager Yasuaki Ikeuchi. Samara is led by 6-8 Pavel Ulyanko who hit 17 points in the Russian club’s 107-76 win over India last Saturday and 24 in the 67-50 romp over Japan last Sunday.

Taiwan is missing four national players, including two-time reigning Super League MVP Tien Lei who played for the Sacramento Kings in the recent Las Vegas Summer League. The hosts bowed to Passing Lane Sports of the US by 21 last Sunday.

Passing Lane Sports beat the Philippines, 80-71, at the Global Hoops Summit in Las Vegas last week.

The Philippines opened its Jones Cup campaign with an 82-71 decision over Qatar last Saturday. Six of the Philippines’ 10 players flew in from the Summit in Las Vegas early that morning.

"We won despite six players who woke up that morning in Las Vegas," said Reyes. "It was incredible."

Helterbrand, Tony de la Cruz, Adducul, Dondon Hontiveros, Kelly Williams and Raymundo were the six who crossed the international dateline the same day they suited up to play Qatar.

The RP-Kazakhstan boxscores:

RP 82–Helterbrand 17, Adducul 16, Taulava 14, De la Cruz 11, Hontiveros 7, Miller 6, Raymundo 6, De Ocampo 5, Cablay 0, Williams 0.

Kazakhstan 74–Nechaev 19, Ponomarev 14, Vdovin 10, Shpekht 6, Yargavliev 6, Gilyazutdinov 6, Biryulin 4, Lopatin 4, Muravyov 3, Pashkevich 2, Derbush 0.

Halftime: 45-43.