Leaving an impression in Doha

Manila Chooks TM wound up 13th of 14 in the final standings of the recent FIBA 3x3 World Tour Doha Masters but it’s hardly an indication of the impression that coach Aldin Ayo’s undersized squad left in the tournament where giants of the game played. The Pinoys battled courageously in losing a 22-17 decision to Graz of Austria then scored a dramatic 21-20 overtime win over Doha of Qatar but failed to advance beyond the qualifying draw. Doha finished last while Graz advanced to the quarterfinals before ending up sixth. Although it was an early exit, Manila drew raves for its gritty showing against all odds.

Manila looked miniscule compared to the opposition. Dennis Santos, 31, was the tallest in the four-man roster at 6-5. Zach Huang, 24, checked in at 6-4 while Chico Lanete, 41, and Mac Tallo, 27, were both listed at 6-0. Without the benefit of ceiling, Manila had to be consistently accurate from beyond the arc to stretch the halfcourt and clear the lanes for Lanete and Tallo to use their quickness to drive inside. The approach had to be tactical. Against Graz, Manila jumped to an 8-4 lead that caught the heftier Austrians by surprise. Graz, led by 6-6 Matthias Linortner, stormed back and dominated the interior to win but not before getting a scare. Incidentally, Graz will host the 20-team 3x3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament on May 26-30 with the Philippines bracketed in Pool C with Slovenia, France, Qatar and the Dominican Republic. The top three placers will earn tickets to the Tokyo Summer Games.

Doha was bannered by 6-10 Souley Ndour, 6-7 Abdelrahman Yehia and 6-3 Faisal Abuissa. It didn’t look like Manila had a ghost of a chance to beat the hometowners after trailing 8-2. But Manila refused to quit. With 5.4 seconds left in regulation, Tallo escaped the defense to sink a layup and forced OT. Doha went up, 20-19 in extension then Lanete drained a two-pointer to clinch.

In the two-game series, Santos emerged the leading scorer with 13 points. Tallo netted 11, Lanete 10 and Huang four. Of the four, only Tallo was drafted in the PBA. The former La Salle and Southwestern University guard was picked on the first round and 10th overall by TNT in 2017. Lanete was undrafted in 2006 but survived to play in 12 PBA seasons with Purefoods, Ginebra, Burger King, Powerade, Meralco, Barako Bull, Phoenix and San Miguel Beer. Santos and Huang never joined the draft. The four are MPBL veterans.

Santos said he wasn’t supposed to be the team’s big man in Doha. “Sina Jomar Sollano ng Letran at Jboy Gob ng UP naka lineup,” he said. “Kaso, nagkaroon ng problema sa passport kaya ‘di sila nakasama. Two-points talaga pina practice sa akin ni Coach kasi ‘di sana ako big man sa original lineup.” Santos’ outside sniping came in handy as he repeatedly drilled it from distance.

Santos said he has decided to forego joining the PBA draft. “Ang commitment ko ay nasa Chooks To Go,” the former St. Clare center said. “Tingin ko, mas kailangan ako sa team. Naglaro ako sa PBA D-League sa AMA. Ang contract ko sa Chooks ay four years. Masasabi kong it’s a dream come true na nakalaro ako sa Doha. Sobrang sarap sa pakiramdam kasi hindi naman lahat nabibigyan ng opportunity na makapaglaro para sa bayan.”