Filtered By: Sports
Sports

RP Invitational: Kings fall short vs Jordanians


For several stretches, Barangay Ginebra flashed its never-say-die spirit against a classy counterpart bound to compete in the biggest cage tournament in the world – the FIBA World Championship.

Erik Menk's (left) tries to get past the defense of Jordan's Hadrab Mohamad during their game in the 2010 Smart Philippine Invitational Challenge at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Thursday. GMANews.TV
But Jordan was too tough to crack, even during crunch time. Sam Daghlas, the Jordanian’s do-it-all guard, came through with crucial buckets to keep the stubborn Gin Kings at bay and tow his squad to an 84-81 triumph at the start of the 2010 Smart Philippine Invitational Challenge at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium Thursday. Parading a decimated lineup, the Jordanians squandered a 16-point, third-quarter lead, but held on to preserve a victory in this tournament organized by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. The Gin Kings, who repeatedly kept on coming back and urged by a partisan crowd, were in the thick of the fight after taking a 76-75 lead on two free throws by Enrico Villanueva with 3:26 remaining. But Daghlas came through for the squad of Portuguese mentor Mario Palma as he scored on a reverse layup in the next play to regain the driver’s seat. He then hit two crucial jumpers, including one in front of Mike Cortez, for an 83-78 advantage with 13.8 seconds remaining. The win put Jordan a game closer to securing a spot in the finals. The team, though, needs to get past the Smart-Gilas developmental team.
Games Friday (Ninoy Aquino Stadium) 5 pm Dongguan vs Talk 'N Text 7 pm Jordan NT vs Smart Gilas-RP
"We had key players on injured list," said Palma. “We lost four centers because of injuries while Rasheim Wright is still not in good condition after coming back from an ACL injury." "We will be tougher. We’re playing here to show something to the Filipino people what we can do," he added. Daghlas finished with 10 points on 4-of-10 shooting. Burly 6-foot-8 frontliner Islam Abbaas finished with a game-high 21 points while lanky 6-foot-7 Zaid Abbas added 17 markers. Jordan, behind the patient offense and tight defense that netted nine steals, posted its biggest lead, 61-45, as Mohammad Hadrab converted a layup off a Ginebra turnover with 2:01 left in the third.
Jordan's Rasheim Eright (left) challenges Ginebra's Mike Cortez' defense during their game in the 2010 Smart Philippine Invitational Challenge at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium on Thursday. GMANews.TV
But the Kings, who opted not to insert stars Jayjay Helterbrand and Mark Caguioa while giving limited minutes on Rudy Hatfield, Eric Menk and import Denham Brown, came storming back behind Cortez, Villanueva and Sunday Salvacion. Cortez showed flashes of old brilliance while Salvacion triggered the Kings’ rally with two triples in an 18-3 spurt. Counting their recent setbacks in the PBA, the Gin Kings absorbed their fourth straight loss. "I'm impressed with the quality of plays," said Palma. "Filipino players are very good, they have lot of skills, especially on shooting and they showed it in the second half." Salvacion led Ginebra with 15 points on 5-of-7 clip from rainbow country. Cortez had 13 while Intal chipped in 10. - RCJ, GMANews.TV
Scores: Jordan 84 – Abbaas 21, Abbas 17, Wright 11, Hadrab 11, Daghles 10, Alawadi 6, Hadrab 5, Al-Sous 3, Abu Quora 0, Alnajar 0. Ginebra 81 – Salvacion 15, Cortez 13, Intal 10, Miller 9, Tubid 8, Brown 6, de Ocampo 5, Villanueva 5, Ferriols 4, Hatfield 4, Menk 2. Quarter scores: 29-13; 42-31; 59-52; 84-81.
LOADING CONTENT