El Granada explosion lifts Gilas to Final Four

MANILA, Philippines – And Gilas Pilipinas is a win away from joining the 2014 Spain conclave of the world’s best.

Gary David rediscovered his touch and the whole Gilas team brandished its best game in seven nights, cutting down to size the tall Kazakhstan team, 88-58, to clinch a slot in the Final Four of the 27th FIBA Asia Championship before an ecstatic packed Friday night crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

The Nationals rattled the Kazakhs early with a defensive press and were as menacing on the offensive end as they utterly dominated the gangling Central Asian team, pulling off the rousing victory that assured Team Phl of two cracks at a World Cup berth.

With a win on Saturday or Sunday, Gilas Pilipinas joins the global cast that slugs it out in six cities in Spain next years.

In hurdling Kazakhstan, the Filipinos battle either the Koreans or the Qataris in the semifinals Saturday night.

Iran and Chinese Taipei, beating Jordan and China, respectively, in their own quarterfinal matches, face off in the other Final Four tiff.

The home crowd roared thunderously as the game barker hollered: “The Philippines is moving to the semifinal round.”

Then they chanted “Gary! Gary! Gary!,” acknowledging David’s big explosion following a struggle through the team’s first six games.

The Globalport hitman knocked in his first three-point attempts and went on to topscore with 22 points on 7-of-11 overall field shooting.

Jayson Castro, Gabe Norwood and Japeth Aguilar contributed double-digit markers while Marcus Douthit endured a bruised knee, collaring 10 rebounds and adding five points.

The rest put in their shares as Gilas got going, gaining a second straight semis passage in the biennial meet.

The Filipinos disposed of the Kazakhs leading from start to finish.

Gilas Pilipinas jumped the gun on Kazakhstan, 32-13, as the Nationals started the game with a defensive press as they’d never done in all their previous matches.

Weary by the second quarter, Gilas had its lapses pounded by the Kazakhs to charge to within six at 38-44.

The Nationals restored a double-digit spread at 51-38 on a two-handed jam by Marcus Douthit, a trey from Gabe Norwood and two charities from Japeth Aguilar.

Gilas kept Kazakhstan from getting its game going early with Norwood and Jason Castro alternating on shackling star Kazakh naturalized guard Jerry Johnson.

The Gilas second group -- Aguilar, Castro, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo and Larry Fonacier – worked on crucial defensive stoppages that they translated into successive breakaway layups as the Nationals again widened the gap, 67-49, at the end of the third.

The scores:

Philippines 88 – David 22, Castro 13, Aguilar 11, Norwood 10, Chan 7, De ocampo 6, Pingris 6, Douthit 5, Tenorio 3, Fonacier 3, Alapag 2, Fajardo 0.

Kazakhstan 58 – Klimov 14, Johnson 8, Ponomarev 8, Yevstigneyev 6, Lapchenko 5, Murgalayev 5, Bondarovich 4, Zhigulin 3, Sultanov 3, Yargaliyev 2, Bazhkin 0.

Quarterscores: 32-15, 51-40, 67-49, 88-58