Despite a crazy and unfair schedule, play goes on.
NEPAL 79-53 BHUTAN (24:13, 44:26, 60:39)
http://indiabasketball.org/admin/userfiles/image/march2011/bhutan_%20nepal.jpg
The first game was in the morning, and it was between Nepal and debutant Bhutan. Bhutan played alright for the first 15 minutes, being down only 7, but the experience and skill of the Nepalese players was the big difference today. Nepal played good perimeter defense and forced Bhutan to try and win the battle down low. Bhutan head coach Texin Jatsho was not happy with the game and added that the team has only practiced together for two weeks. Nepal head coach Dinesh Nakarmi said the team won as expected and that Bhutan lacked the techincal skill.
Nepal was led by #4 starter Sadish Pradhan, who in 35 minutes of play scored a game-high 21 points on 9/25 shooting, 4 rebounds, and a game-high 4 assists but turned the ball over 8 times. #13 (also a starter) Bayangankar Sr. had 18 points and 9 rebounds. #5 Binod Maharjan scored 15 points and 10 rebounds. Vikram Joshi grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds in 20 minutes.
In the losing effort, the Bhutanese were led by #12 Galden Chophel (33 minutes, 14 points, 9 rebounds, 5 blocks), #4 Phuntsho Tsher (12+10, 2 assists, 8 turnovers though), and #14 Tshering Penjor (8 points, 8 rebounds).
Points in the paint were pretty even (38-36 Nepal) as were bench points (15-11 Nepal) and points off turnovers (10-8 Bhutan). Nepal outscored Bhutan on the break 6-0 and grabbed more rebounds (60-44). Nepal also did well in shutting down Bhutan defensively, holding them to only 30% shooting, including a measly 2/17 from 3 pt land (12%). Nepal though wasn't exactly lights out from the perimeter either (3/17, 18%), nor did they protect the ball (24 turnovers to only 22 for Bhutan) but they did well in not giving away fouls and making nearly 50% of their two point field goals. Bhutan played Bangladesh later in the evening while Nepal plays tomorrow vs. Bangladesh in the morning. Both Bangladesh and Nepal will play a semi final game in the evening as well.
Game 2 featured India and Sri Lanka, both teams who advanced to the semi final by Pakistan not making it to New Delhi. This game was played merely for seeding purposes; and India made no doubts about who was the better team. New head coach Kenny Natt has been implementing an NBA style offense and a tenacious defense. Today just showed that India is still 50 points better than Sri Lanka and India was able to reel off a 16 point run, and play its' entire squad today. Sri Lanka's lack of height really showed today as India dominated the paint.
INDIA 99-42 SRI LANKA (32:5, 60:20, 86:34)
http://indiabasketball.org/admin/userfiles/image/india%20sri%20lanka.jpg
India had 5 players hit double figure scoring, led by Vishesh Briguvanshi (16 point). Jagdeep Singh (5 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks) and Prakash Mishra off the bench (5 rebounds, 3 assists) poured in 15 points. Young Cager Amritpal Singh in his first appearance for the national team scored 10 points as did 7'3 junior center Satnam Singh. Sambhaji Kadam dished a game high 7 assists.
RR Suranga Fernando led Sri Lanka with 11 points and grabbed three rebounds. Sidath Sinanayaka scored 10 points and collected 4 rebounds.
India just dominated in every facet of the game. India outshot Sri Lanka (61%-30%), scored more points off turnovers (8-2), scored more points in the paint (32-4), had more second chance points (15-2), had more points off the bench (58-9), grabbed more rebounds (41-20), dished more dimes (25-10), had more steals (7-5) and had more blocks (4-1). All around domination by India.
Tomorrow India will square off against the loser of the Nepal-Bangladesh game while Sri Lanka gets the winner of the Nepal-Bangladesh clash.
In the final game of the day, Bangladesh eliminated Bhutan 92-59. Bhutan is eliminated from the tournament and the 2011 FIBA Asia championship. Statistics have not yet been released. More details to come...
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
2011 FIBA Aisa Championship -Draw
Group A: Lebanon, Mid Asian Team, Malaysia and South Korea
Group B: Qatar, Mid Asian Team, Chinese Taipei and Iran
Group C: Japan, Indonesia, Syria and Jordan
Group D: Philippines, UAE, Bahrain and China
Group B looks to be the 'group of death' since 3 quality teams will fight for position. I don't thnk there is a team from Mid Asia that could beat any of these three. Even if Kazakhstan decided to join qualifiers (they have supposedly pulled out due to coaching issues and lack of funds), I think they'd be fourth best in this group.
Group C looks to be the 2nd strongest if Syria and Michael Madanly play well, could make a game versus either Japan or Jordan.
Group A and D are pretty straight forward, the battles with lie for 3rd place. I'd say A is tougher and that Lebanon/South Korea will be a better and closer match than Philippines/China.
In Group A, it all depends on which Mid Asia qualifier FIBA Asia puts in the group. It'll be a close game, but I do not think Malaysia would win.
Group D is UAE versus Bahrain for third. It'll definately be a great game. In the Gulf qualifiers, the two games they played were split 1-1. Bahrain won the first 65-61, UAE got revenge in the semi finals 69-59.
Standings Predictions:
Group A: Lebanon, South Korea, Mid Asia Team, Malaysia
Group B: Iran, Qatar, Chinese Taipei, Mid Asia Team
Group C: Japan, Jordan, Syria, Indonesia
Group D: China, Philippines, Bahrain, UAE
Hopefully I will be able to give a good preview of teams in the upcoming months.
Group B: Qatar, Mid Asian Team, Chinese Taipei and Iran
Group C: Japan, Indonesia, Syria and Jordan
Group D: Philippines, UAE, Bahrain and China
Group B looks to be the 'group of death' since 3 quality teams will fight for position. I don't thnk there is a team from Mid Asia that could beat any of these three. Even if Kazakhstan decided to join qualifiers (they have supposedly pulled out due to coaching issues and lack of funds), I think they'd be fourth best in this group.
Group C looks to be the 2nd strongest if Syria and Michael Madanly play well, could make a game versus either Japan or Jordan.
Group A and D are pretty straight forward, the battles with lie for 3rd place. I'd say A is tougher and that Lebanon/South Korea will be a better and closer match than Philippines/China.
In Group A, it all depends on which Mid Asia qualifier FIBA Asia puts in the group. It'll be a close game, but I do not think Malaysia would win.
Group D is UAE versus Bahrain for third. It'll definately be a great game. In the Gulf qualifiers, the two games they played were split 1-1. Bahrain won the first 65-61, UAE got revenge in the semi finals 69-59.
Standings Predictions:
Group A: Lebanon, South Korea, Mid Asia Team, Malaysia
Group B: Iran, Qatar, Chinese Taipei, Mid Asia Team
Group C: Japan, Jordan, Syria, Indonesia
Group D: China, Philippines, Bahrain, UAE
Hopefully I will be able to give a good preview of teams in the upcoming months.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
2011 SEABA Qualifying Day 1
Game 1: Philippines-Malaysia http://www.fibaasia.net/PDFUpload/PDF01201162334958.PDF
For the first 25 minutes of the game (2 1/2 quarters), the Malaysians gave the Smart Gilas Pilipinas a fight and a run for their money. But with 4:34 left to go in the third quarter, JV Casio hit a three to break a 49-49 deadlock and then after a Malysian miss, he hit a two-point field goal to give the Philippines a 54-49 lead and they never looked back.
Casio led the way scoring wise off the bench with 19 points (7/11 FG, 3/6 3pt) and also posted 3 assists and a steal in 23 minutes.
Japeth Aguilar came off the bench and also played well, powering his way to 18 points and 5 rebounds.
Big performace mula sa naturalized center Marcus Douthit, He had a very effective game on the low block, garnering 14 points and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes of play.
Starting guard Chris Tiu was the other man in double figures scoring, hitting for 12 points, including three 3's.
The Philippines owned the paint, outrebouding the Malaysians 51-21 and outscored them in the paint 58-24.
In the losing effort the Malysians were led by Ho Yeow Loong with 11 points and 2 steals. #8 Choo Wei Hong hit for 10 off the bench and grabbed a team high 5 rebounds. John Ng grabbed pumped in 10 as well in the starting effort.
A few bright things though for the Malaysians. They held a lead for a little over 18 minutes in the game...they came out to a roaring start behind the arc and finished at a 38% clip (11 3s). I don't know if many fans will remember the name Tan Kim Chin, but he was a deadly sharpshot for the Malaysians in the mid1980s-1990s for Malaysia. While I do not see an individual player here of his shooting caliber, the team has played well as a team. All they have to do is finish 3rd to earn a spot for this summer's Asian championship in Wuhan, and if they shoot from the outside like they did today again, they could very well earn themselves a spot. The game for them that could be the decisive factor will be today versus Singapore, a team the Malaysians will be battling with for third place.
The Philippines take on hosts Indonesia today in the second contest of the evening.
Game 2: Indonesia-Singapore http://www.fibaasia.net/PDFUpload/PDF012011623957.PDF
Indonesia for three quarters had been outplayed by an underdog Singaporean side. But a 23-6 fourth quarter all but destroyed and ended the upset victory right in its' tracks.
In the 71-60 win, Indonesia was led by bench player Ponsianus Indrawan (12 points on 6/7 shooting, team high 10 rebounds and team high 2 blocks) and starter Rony Gunawan (10 points, team high 3 steals). Indonesia had stumbled early, owning only a two point lead at the end of the 1st quarter and was down 3 at the half and 6 at the end of the third. But a 14-2 in the first five minutes in the final frame closed the deal.
Singapore was led by starters Wong Wei Long (11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) and Pathman Matialakan (11 points, team high 9 rebounds in game high 36 minutes). Off the bench, Wei Oh poured in 10.
The stats show a relatively even game, but a few areas Indonesia was able to come out on top on helped them to victory. 1. The Inside: 38-37 rebounds, 30-14 points in the paint, 13-4 second chance points, 4-0 blocks, all in favor of Indonesia. The paint, as the Philippines and Indonesia have proven, are going to be key in winning games in this tournament and down the line as well. 2. Turnovers: 16 turns for Indonesia compared to 29 for Singapore, including 7 in the final frame. Limiting turnovers is key to any victory, and Singapore gave the game away despite holding a large 28-17 disparity in free throw attempts. 3. Bench: Indonesia outscored Singapore 32-25 off the bench and as the recently crowned NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks showed, a deep bench in key in the long run to a successful side.
Games Tomorrow:
Singapore-Malaysia
Philippines-Indonesia
For the first 25 minutes of the game (2 1/2 quarters), the Malaysians gave the Smart Gilas Pilipinas a fight and a run for their money. But with 4:34 left to go in the third quarter, JV Casio hit a three to break a 49-49 deadlock and then after a Malysian miss, he hit a two-point field goal to give the Philippines a 54-49 lead and they never looked back.
Casio led the way scoring wise off the bench with 19 points (7/11 FG, 3/6 3pt) and also posted 3 assists and a steal in 23 minutes.
Japeth Aguilar came off the bench and also played well, powering his way to 18 points and 5 rebounds.
Big performace mula sa naturalized center Marcus Douthit, He had a very effective game on the low block, garnering 14 points and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes of play.
Starting guard Chris Tiu was the other man in double figures scoring, hitting for 12 points, including three 3's.
The Philippines owned the paint, outrebouding the Malaysians 51-21 and outscored them in the paint 58-24.
In the losing effort the Malysians were led by Ho Yeow Loong with 11 points and 2 steals. #8 Choo Wei Hong hit for 10 off the bench and grabbed a team high 5 rebounds. John Ng grabbed pumped in 10 as well in the starting effort.
A few bright things though for the Malaysians. They held a lead for a little over 18 minutes in the game...they came out to a roaring start behind the arc and finished at a 38% clip (11 3s). I don't know if many fans will remember the name Tan Kim Chin, but he was a deadly sharpshot for the Malaysians in the mid1980s-1990s for Malaysia. While I do not see an individual player here of his shooting caliber, the team has played well as a team. All they have to do is finish 3rd to earn a spot for this summer's Asian championship in Wuhan, and if they shoot from the outside like they did today again, they could very well earn themselves a spot. The game for them that could be the decisive factor will be today versus Singapore, a team the Malaysians will be battling with for third place.
The Philippines take on hosts Indonesia today in the second contest of the evening.
Game 2: Indonesia-Singapore http://www.fibaasia.net/PDFUpload/PDF012011623957.PDF
Indonesia for three quarters had been outplayed by an underdog Singaporean side. But a 23-6 fourth quarter all but destroyed and ended the upset victory right in its' tracks.
In the 71-60 win, Indonesia was led by bench player Ponsianus Indrawan (12 points on 6/7 shooting, team high 10 rebounds and team high 2 blocks) and starter Rony Gunawan (10 points, team high 3 steals). Indonesia had stumbled early, owning only a two point lead at the end of the 1st quarter and was down 3 at the half and 6 at the end of the third. But a 14-2 in the first five minutes in the final frame closed the deal.
Singapore was led by starters Wong Wei Long (11 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals) and Pathman Matialakan (11 points, team high 9 rebounds in game high 36 minutes). Off the bench, Wei Oh poured in 10.
The stats show a relatively even game, but a few areas Indonesia was able to come out on top on helped them to victory. 1. The Inside: 38-37 rebounds, 30-14 points in the paint, 13-4 second chance points, 4-0 blocks, all in favor of Indonesia. The paint, as the Philippines and Indonesia have proven, are going to be key in winning games in this tournament and down the line as well. 2. Turnovers: 16 turns for Indonesia compared to 29 for Singapore, including 7 in the final frame. Limiting turnovers is key to any victory, and Singapore gave the game away despite holding a large 28-17 disparity in free throw attempts. 3. Bench: Indonesia outscored Singapore 32-25 off the bench and as the recently crowned NBA Champion Dallas Mavericks showed, a deep bench in key in the long run to a successful side.
Games Tomorrow:
Singapore-Malaysia
Philippines-Indonesia
Friday, January 28, 2011
2011 FIBA-Africa Championship -Abidjan
The Central Board of FIBA Africa and the Ivorian Basketball Federation (FIBB) are currently evaluating the feasability of Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire for hosting the upcoming Afrobasket. Abidjan, which won the bid, has said that construction of its' arena has stalled and will not be completed until November 2011, months after the championship is supposed to be held. On February 15, FIBA Africa will anounce its' decision on whether Abidjan will host or whether another nation will step in to take its' place. Interested parties to replace Abidjan, Cote d'Ivoire are said to be Angola, Madagascar, Morocco, and Tunisia.
FIBA Africa Press Release
Interbasket forums
FIBA Africa Press Release
Interbasket forums
2011 FIBA-Asia Championship
The 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship has been officially moved from Lebanon to Wuhan, China....apparently, the infrastructure and organization of the 2010 FIBA Stankovic Cup did not please FIBA-Asia....
Here's a quick rundown of the qualifiers as there is plenty of confusion.
Those finishers earned an extra spot for their zone in the upcomong FIBA-Asia Championship.
Lebanon, by winning, has qualified for China.
Japan = + 1 spot for East Asia
Qatar = + 1 for Gulf
Philippines = + 1 for SEABA
Jordan = + 1 for WABA
So with that,
East Asia = host (China) + 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Japan's finish in Asia Stankovic
Gulf = 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Qatar's finish....Qatar, UAE, Bahrain all qualified to FIBA-Asia by virtue of finishing top 3 in the 12th Gulf Basketball Championship
SEABA = 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Philippines finish
WABA = Stankovic champion (Lebanon), + 2 qualifiers, + 1 extra for Jordan's finish
Middle Asia = 2 qualifiers
Here's a quick rundown of the qualifiers as there is plenty of confusion.
Those finishers earned an extra spot for their zone in the upcomong FIBA-Asia Championship.
Lebanon, by winning, has qualified for China.
Japan = + 1 spot for East Asia
Qatar = + 1 for Gulf
Philippines = + 1 for SEABA
Jordan = + 1 for WABA
So with that,
East Asia = host (China) + 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Japan's finish in Asia Stankovic
Gulf = 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Qatar's finish....Qatar, UAE, Bahrain all qualified to FIBA-Asia by virtue of finishing top 3 in the 12th Gulf Basketball Championship
SEABA = 2 qualifiers + 1 extra for Philippines finish
WABA = Stankovic champion (Lebanon), + 2 qualifiers, + 1 extra for Jordan's finish
Middle Asia = 2 qualifiers
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