It was a Kobe Paras show on a Tuesday night at a packed MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, as Gilas Pilipinas dominated Myanmar, 129-34, to book their second straight victory in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
The win — which improves the Philippines’ card to 2-0 — solidified their hold of the top spot in Group A. Furthermore, the victory sends them to a win away from earning an outright semifinals berth.
The 19-year-old swingman made several highlight plays — including a coast-to-coast dunk in the third canto — and filled up the stat sheet with 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, eight rebounds, seven steals, four assists, and four blocks.
The 6-foot-6 second-generation star had already racked up numbers in the first half alone, as he had nine markers, five caroms, four steals, and three swats.
The game was never in doubt right from the start, and Gilas still played mercilessly to rip the Burmese apart. The Filipino cagers never allowed their smaller counterparts to score over seven points in the first three quarters.
The Philippines established the game’s widest gap at 97, 126-29, after Paras made his bonus shot off a fouled one-handed throwdown — a move that woke up the crowd once more inside the venue — with 1:48 left to play.
It was Raymar Jose who top-billed for the Nationals with 22 points off the bench, leading the supporting cast’s 80-point contribution. Veteran Troy Rosario supplied 14 points, while Mike Tolomia had 13 points and six dimes.
2017 FIBA Asia Cup stalwarts Carl Cruz and Christian Standhardinger scored 12 points apiece in their Kuala Lumpur debut, with the six-foot-eight Filipino-German adding 11 caroms to his personal statline for a double-double.
Baser Amer sat out versus Myanmar.
Sai Phyo Kyaw paced Myanmar with 12 points, all coming from beyond the arc. Aung Zaya backed him up with eight points. Wana Aung, the 2017 SEABA Championship crowd favorite, was held to just two points on 13 shots.
The Pinoys shot 60 percent from the floor, and their ball movement was on point as they dished 21 dimes. They clearly won the battle on the boards, 51-29. Moreover, their defense forced the Burmese to 41 turnovers.
Gilas will look to sustain momentum as they face Malaysia tomorrow, Wednesday, August 23, at 6:00 PM.
The Scores:
Gilas Pilipinas (129) – Jose 22, Paras 20, Rosario 14, Tolomia 13, Standhardinger 12, Cruz 12, Ferrer 11, Pessumal 9, Parks, Jr. 7, Vosotros 5, Ravena 4.
Myanmar (34) – Kyaw 12, Zaya 8, Wai 4, Han 2, Aye 2, Oo 2, Aung 2, Zin 2, Ja 0, Phyo 0, Min 0.
Quarterscores: 30-7, 60-10, 98-16, 129-34.
