Philippines 127, Cambodia 68
-This 59-point wallop of Cambodia, a team that has almost always landed the bottom spot in the Southeast Asian Games, really does not say much of Sinag Pilipinas.However, this first game may well be a preview of how Coach Norman Black will run the team for the rest of the tournament. And for this first match, they relied on what was tried, tested, and used for their practices: effectively setting up plays for the team's most reliable scorers and scoring off turnovers and from transition baskets.
-However, defense and chemistry, if not problems, are concerns that need to be addressed in the next few games. Despite having found people who can reliably score, the team still has not melded as a unit. There are still things need to be polished in terms of setting plays from both ends of the court, and that includes off-ball movement, something essential in their plays. Hopefully, each member of the Sinag Pilipinas finds their niche and play effectively in the coming games.
-On the other hand, despite not blending the way they should be, Sinag Pilipinas shot 71% from the field and held the Cambodian national team to a 35% clip, en route to this big 59-point win, bigger than the last one against this same team (a 52 point margin 4 years ago).
-The national team relied on a lot of transition baskets, having the guards run for easy points after rebounds or steals. Did we not see that a few months ago when the Ateneo Blue Eagles defended their crown in the UAAP? It's obvious that Coach Norman Black still has the same strategies in mind, and it proved to be effective so far.
-Ravena showed why he is worthy of being selected as a Mythical Five member of last year's FIBA U-18. He led Sinag Pilipinas in scoring, dropping 17 huge points all through out the game, squeaking his way past larger and older opponents, plus a dunk off a transition basket. Furthermore, it's also important to note that the two MVPs of Metro Manila's major collegiate leagues have stepped up. Nico Salva and Dave Marcelo had a combined 26 point effort in this win.
-When was the last time Greg Slaughter had a single digit output? Perhaps the lockdown defense put on the Cambodian team against him, most probably because of his towering figure, had Coach Norman pull him out and had him replaced by Cliff Hodge, who is obviously faster than Slaughter and can more easily shake off their undersized big men. Perhaps one thing that Slaughter has to work on will be his quickness and footwork when it comes to those situations. We never know, but we might need him in tighter stretches.
-Selection of Emman Monfort questionable? Perhaps it's time for doubters to think again. Earlier in the game he forced two turnovers, snagged the ball once, and had a good defensive effort despite scoring 2 points. And he was able to lead the team, effectively implementing Coach Norman Black's system despite having a different set of guys in the lineup. And speaking of which, did anyone notice that the first five of the game is the Ateneo first five, with Parks replacing American guard Kirk Long?
-One note on the coverage, though. Can Indonesia have the production staff for the basketball games replaced? We viewers seem to have a hard time watching the game with their camera angles and all that.
The Scores:
Sinag Pilipinas 127 – Ravena 17, Garcia 16, Lanete 15, Salva 14, Marcelo 12, Ellis 12, Parks 10, Tiu 9, Hodge 9, Pascual 6, Slaughter 5, Monfort 2.
Cambodia 68 – Sophoeun 24, Pek 24, Boroth 15, Kim, V. 3, Kim 0, Sovann 0, Meas 0, Monh 0, Lov 0, Chom 0.
Quarterscores: 35-20; 61-39; 93-56; 127-68
Credits to Baseballdeworld.com for the pic, Interaksyon for the box.
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