Phl Gilas takes shot at semis vs C-Taipei

WUHAN – Going up against a team it has dominated in the past and whose game uncannily resembles that of Japan’s, Smart Gilas Pilipinas goes for a seat in the Final Four against Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals of the 26th FIBA Asia Championship here.

And coach Rajko Toroman feels optimistic the Nationals can get past the Taiwanese if their decisive win over the Japanese in the elims would be a gauge.

“Chinese Taipei is like Japan, having good shooters in its lineup. We’re able to stop Japan’s shooters and I think we can do the same against Chinese Taipei,” said Toroman.

The two teams meet in a quarterfinals match at 6 tonight with the Nationals brimming with confidence against a team they have beaten in all four meetings in the last two years.

The Nationals are hopeful they can keep their mastery of the Taiwanese and get a shot at the finals versus the winner of the Iran-Jordan setto.

It’s China versus Lebanon and Korea against Japan in the other quarterfinal matches.

“If they can shoot the ball very well, then we’ll have a problem. But we’ve been playing good defense, and that’s the reason why I’m optimistic,” Toroman added.

The Serbian mentor believes he has able defenders against Chinese Taipei’s deadly wingmen and that the Taiwanese may not have an answer for Marcus Douthit.

“Marcus is making a big impact for our team. He’s very skilled, very clever and very creative for his size,” said Toroman of Douthit, among the best-performing centers in the tourney.

The Nationals beat the Taiwanese twice by an average margin of 11 points in the recent Jones Cup even minus Talk n Text stars Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams and Ranidel de Ocampo.

“We’re 4-0 against them but this is the one that counts the most. They can be dangerous and we have to be ready,” said Toroman.

The Taiwanese, still featuring the core of the team that placed fifth in Tokushima in 2007 and sixth in Tianjin in 2009, have made a good account of themselves here with victories over Qatar, Uzbekistan, Malaysia and Lebanon against loses to Iran and Korea.

They have as biggest threat shooting guard-forward Lin Chih-Chieh, a scoring machine in the Taiwanese league recruited to play with the Zhejiang Lions in the Chinese Basketball Association reportedly with a monthly pay of $15,000 (P645,000).

Providing them muscle and energy at the paint is another CBA regular in Tseng Wen-Ting.

That they beat Lebanon is a clear indication that they can’t be taken for granted.

Chinese Taipei is 11 notches ranked higher than the Philippines in the FIBA world ranking. It is also a traditional contender in FIBA Asia, having second-place finishes in 1960 and 1963 and third in 1973 and 1989.

The Taiwanese were in full force on the gallery, dissecting Smart Gilas’ every move in its game versus Syria Wednesday night.

Probably to throw off the Taiwanese, the Nationals displayed its true game and true worth only in the final half in ripping the Syrians, 75-52.

“I deliberately not put in that much Jimmy Alapag and Kelly Williams in the first half as I calculated some things,” said Toroman.