Quicker Gilas faces Iran

Do or die at MOA tonight

MANILA, Philippines — With a beefed-up lineup, Gilas Pilipinas hopes to produce the result that it badly needs to deliver in a virtual do-or-die setto with Iran in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers at the MOA Arena in Pasay tonight.

After their sorry 88-92 loss to Kazakhstan Friday, the Nationals have regrouped and are now aching to come out to redeem themselves against the Iranians in their 7:30 p.m. tiff.

Team Phl fought Team Iran in a nip-and-tuck battle in the first three quarters only to lose rhythm and shooting in the payoff period, and reeled to a 73-81 loss over in Tehran last September.

Coach Yeng Guiao, however, hopes the adjustments he made would help the Nationals in their rematch with Iran and prop up their chance for the world joust in China next year.

After the initial matches in the fifth window of the FIBAWC eliminator, Australia gained outright entry into the World Cup,leaving Iran (6-3), the Philippines (5-4), Japan (5-4) and Kazakhstan (4-5) in a tight battle for the two remaining WC berths from their group.

In particular, Guiao dealt with the team’s problem with quickness by inserting Christian Standhardinger, Jayson Castro, Troy Rosario and Arwind Santos in their lineup for Iran.

Holdovers from the Kazakh game are Japeth Aguilar, Beau Belga, June Mar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Gabe Norwood, LA Tenorio, Scottie Thompson and Matthew Wright. To take a rest are Greg Slaughter, Poy Erram, Alex Cabagnot and Stanley Pringle.

“Our quickness requirement is filled up, but we have now  to sacrifice size,” said Guiao.

Guiao formed a tall team against Kazakhstan with a lineup including Fajardo, Slaughter, Aguilar and Erram but suffered in their lack of quickness against the agile, sweet-shooting big men of the Kazakhs.

“That’s what I’ve been saying, the tallest lineup doesn’t necessarily mean the strongest lineup. There is a speed factor, a quickness factor that we need to consider because the big men that we’ll face are big and they’re quick and strong. If you’re just big, it will not suffice. You have to be able to combine the size and the speed to match up,” Guiao pointed out.

Against Iran, the Nationals will again face tall players that are quick with their size.

Gilas will have less problem, though, if Iran continues to play minus Hamed Haddadi and Nikkhah Bahrami as they did in their 47-76 loss to Australia in Melbourne Friday.

However, Haddadi played just the closing minute of the game in the Phl-Iran match last September when the Iranians won.

Team Phl’s defense also broke down in the crunch, and the home team pounded the opportunity to open a double-digit spread at 77-66 before eventually nailing the win.

Minus Fajardo and Slaughter, Standhardinger gallantly held his own against the Iran giants, scattering a game-high 30 points, but the rest of the team threw bricks.

Three-point shooting proved to be the big difference in Iran’s fourth-quarter breakaway.

Held to only four three-pointers through the first 30 minutes of play, the Iranians struck with three dagger triples to highlight their decisive surge from a 63-61 count.

The Filipinos, meanwhile, just couldn’t find the target in the fourth quarter.

The home crowd, however, is expected to boost the Nationals in this rematch.