Jordan routs RP

Jordan routs RP


Games Today
1 p.m. – Kazakhstan vs. Iran
3 p.m. – Japan vs. Lebanon
5 p.m. – Taiwan-B vs. Korea
7 p.m. – RP vs. Taiwan-A


TAIPEI – The awakening to the truth about international competition couldn’t have been more rude, and the welcome to the 31st staging of the William Jones Cup any more cold for Powerade-Team Pilipinas.

Hoping to showcase to the rest of Asia what they are all about as they set a goal lofty enough to deserve an appearance in the 16th World Championship in Istanbul next year, the Nationals ran smack instead to the harsh realities of global basketball.

Reduced to a bush leaguer in the second quarter where big and bold Jordan racked up 20 straight points to break a tight game open, the RP team fell with a big thud Saturday, 90-59, at the Hsinchuang gymnasium, putting pressure on everybody involved in sending a national team to the 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship in Tianjin, China next month.

The game was shown live on ESPN, and the Nationals, who started James Yap, Asi Taulava, Gabe Norwood, Kerby Raymundo and Willie Miller, stayed in the game in the first 10 minutes, trailing 17-15, with the promise of a second quarter blast up in the air.

But then came off the bench Rasheim Wright, the 6-4 point guard who terrorized Chot Reyes’ RP team during the 24th FIBA Asia Olympic qualifier in Tokushima, Japan two years ago.

In a flash, the potential for a big first half went up in smoke as the Jordanians, orchestrated by Wright, cut the Nationals’ defense in shreds, setting bone-jarring screens against the man-to-man and hitting the open man from the outside.

With alarming regularity, the Nationals were caught two or three steps away from a Jordanian in firing position or pinned hapless under the basket by huge post-up presence.

It was 37-15 with three minutes remaining in the half before Jared Dillinger went to the free throw to end the long drought, and it was more of the same the rest of the way.

Fast on their feet in covering the middle defensively, the Jordanians, coached by Brazilian sparkplug Mario Palma, who made RP coach Yeng Guiao look like an altar boy, had the Nationals starving from the perimeter and under the offensive glass.

They also had easy access in front of their goal, drawing the double-team and then locating their spot-up shooters.

There were a few bright notes for Team RP, like Kerby Raymundo scoring the Nationals’ first six points and newcomer Japeth Aguilar swatting away shots.

But it was a Jordanian show all the way, with the debacle at its height halfway in the fourth quarter at 79-45.

Ginebra’s Jayjay Helterbrand and Cyrus Baguio, and San Miguel Beer’s Mick Pennisi, with little rest following their Game 7 battle in the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup Finals, arrived Saturday afternoon with Powerade-RP team manager JB Baylon and PBA media bureau chief Willy Marcial but didn’t suit up.

They are expected to be inserted in the 12-man lineup, which is allowed by tournament rules, for Sunday’s 7 p.m. match against host Taiwan.

In other opening day games, Lebanon, with the veteran Fadih El-Khatib pouring 32 points, crushed Taiwan-B, 93-61, while South Korea, which is bracketed with the Philippines, Japan and Sri Lanka in Group A in the FIBA Asia tournament, edged Kazakhstan, 75-73, despite getting outrebounded, 42-32.