FIBA Asia Cup: Philippines easily dispatches Macau, wins third straight

The Philippines exploded for 14 straight points to start the game, and never let Macau taste the lead, as they romped to a 98-46 win, Monday in the FIBA Asia Cup, held in Tokyo, Japan. The victory gave the Philippines a 3-1 record in the preliminary round, thanks to three straight wins after losing to China, headed into the win-or-go-home final round. Ranidel de Ocampo opened the scoring festivities for the Philippines, followed by a basket and a free throw courtesy of Matt Rosser, as Gilas went up 5-0 early. But the real highlight was Jeff Chan, who picked up where he left off versus Uzbekistan, dropping 13 markers to give his side a 33-14 lead after the first quarter. Macau played much better in the second period, getting the lead down to 13, 45-32, with 2:42 remaining in the first half on a basket by Fu In Lao. In response, the Philippines countered with a 10-1 run prior to halftime, to make their advantage 22 points, 55-33 entering the break. In the third, the Philippines showed no signs of letting up. Sonny Thoss made it a 30-point game with 6:06 remaining, and then Jeff Chan ballooned that to 40-points, 79-39, at the 1:44 mark. All-in-all, Macau scored just eight points in the third, versus 28 from Gilas, to make it 83-41. The fourth quarter was more of the same. Enrico Villanueva split charities that made it a 50-point game, 96-46, with 3:18 left, as Macau simply failed to score from the 6:55 mark of the fourth quarter onwards, allowing the Philippine reserves to close out the game in style. The Philippines managed to go the entire game without fielding naturalized center Marcus Douthit. The 6'10" center got an extra day of rest, as the rest of his teammates took care of business easily. Chan led all players with 18 markers on a 7-of-11 clip, going 4-of-7 from beyond the arc. Gary David and Jay-R Reyes added 12 markers each, with Reyes hauling down eight boards. Matt Rosser narrowly missed a triple-double with 11 points, nine rebounds and nine assists. Macau, which remains scoreless in three outings, was led by Fu In Lao with 14 markers. Tong Fai Cheong added 12, while Hip Mang Lo posted a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds. - AMD, GMA News The scores: Philippines 98 - Chan 18, David 12, Reyes 12, Dillinger 11, Rosser 11, Norwood 9, Tenorio 7, Thoss 6, Fonacier 6, De Ocampo 4, Villanueva 2 Macau 46 - F. Lao 14, Cheong 12, Lo 10, Cai 6, Lai 4, Wong 0, K. Iong 0, N. Iong 0 Quarter scoring: 33-14 55-33, 83-41, 98-46