Powerade-RP faces Indons in SEABA championship

Powerade-RP faces Indons in SEABA championship

MEDAN – Nat King Cole may again be singing in the background, but Powerade-Team Pilipinas will be dancing to rock ‘n roll music all championship game long.

The Nationals battle host Indonesia in a rematch Tuesday night, hoping to silence the raucous hometown crowd early in the final of the 8th Southeast Asian Basketball Association Men’s Championship at the Angkasapura Lanud Basketball Hall.

With the legendary crooner’s unmistakable velvety voice filling the venue Monday, the Philippines ripped Singapore, 117-69, to sweep the elimination and claim the first berth to the FIBA-Asia World Championship qualifier in August.

On the instructions of coach Yeng Guiao, the Nationals shifted into fast break overdrive right away, running down the Singaporeans behind Cyrus Baguio, virtually untouchable in going 10 of 14 from the field and 8 of 9 from the free throw line for 28 points – a tournament high. Ranidel de Ocampo slashed for 17 points with 10 rebounds, and team captain Asi Taulava, in his best performance so far, muscled his way to 14 points with 13 rebounds. “Our emphasis is to really ingrain the fast break concept on the guys, whether we’re playing a strong, big team or a small team that’s also quick like Singapore,” said Guiao.

“The important thing for me is to be consistent with the running game.” In the do-or-die second game, the Indons forced Malaysia into 24 turnovers in scraping a 74-67 victory, gaining a title showdown with the PBA-backed RP team at 7 p.m. and securing the second spot to the 25th FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship in Tianjin, China.

Both the Philippines and Indonesia made it to the 24th FIBA Asia Olympic qualifier two years ago in Tokushima, Japan after topping the 7th SEABA elimination in Ratchaburi, Thailand, and their return reaffirmed their dominance in the region.

Though nothing much is at stake except the placing and the bragging rights, neither team entertains the thought of leaving this capital of North Sumatra province with its head bowed. Indonesia, comprised mainly of the No. 2 club team in the country, absorbed a 103-64 beating from the Nationals Sunday and is not likely to aim for an upset as much as respect from its opponent, a galaxy of professional superstars.

Powerade-RP, on the other hand, would want nothing more than to put behind the SEABA as quickly as possible in order to attend to more pressing matters – the Jones Cup in Taipei next month and the World Championship qualifier four weeks later.

Singapore, led by a Joseph Yeo look-alike point guard named Wong Wei Long who gave Willie Miller and Gabe Norwood fits, was out of it early, falling behind 33-14 after the first quarter, 58-25 at the half, and 93-45 at three-quarter’s end. With the jeering pro-Indonesian crowd not yet in full force during the Singapore match, the atmosphere in the arena was light, courtesy of some silky ballroom tunes.

And though it offered little of the electrifying slam-dunk sideshow that marked the RP-Indonesia game the night before, Day 3 of competition will be remembered for the unconventional music played during the pre-game shootaround, as well as in the timeout and halftime breaks. Long used to warming up to hard-pounding, ear-splitting Top 20 music or classic rock beats, the Nationals were pleasantly surprised to hear the silky voice of one of the ‘50s greatest balladeers wafting out of the public address speakers, someone vaguely familiar to only two or three of them.

As it turned out, Col. Lee Kak Kuan, the 69-year-old SEABA commissioner and trusted colleague of FIBA-Asia secretary-general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock, brought with him a CD of the “Unforgettable” and “Mona Lisa” singer and had it played.

“The music they were playing here was too loud for me, too noisy,” said Col. Lee, who assigns referees in FIBA-Asia tournaments. “This one’s better, see? Nice for dancing, right?” RP assistant coach Roehl Nadurata apparently agreed.

Nadurata, himself from that golden era, grabbed PBA media bureau chief Willy Marcial by the hand and the two improvised a quick waltz just before the buzzer, delighting PBA commissioner Renauld 'Sonny' Barrios and team manager JB Baylon.

Scores: POWERADE-RP 117 – Baguio 28, De Ocampo 17, Santos 16, Taulava 14, Raymundo 10, Yap 9, Norwood 7, Dillinger 6, Pennisi 6, Miller 4.

SINGAPORE 69 – Oh 11, Wong 10, Wong 10, Khoo 10, Hong 8, Lin 5, Matialakan 4, Lim 2, Tan 1, Lo 0, Teo 0. Quarters: 33-14, 58-27, 93-49, 117-69