When Gilas Pilipinas step on the Aichi International Center at noon later today, they will be facing a tall, talented, and out-for-revenge Chinese squad. At the moment, China looks like serious contenders to win gold in 5×5 hoops in the 20th Asian Games, having shown fearsome form in dispatching Kazakhstan, 99-61, and walloping Bahrain, 105-59.
Incidentally, five players from this Chinese team were part of the squad Gilas Pilipinas stunned in the semis three years ago in Hangzhou, thanks mostly to Justin Brownlee’s fourth-quarter heroics. Hu Mingxuan, Yu Jiahao, Hu Jinqiu, Cui Yongxi, and Zhu Junlon lived through that nightmare collapse, and they’re sure to be out for vengeance this time around against an arguably inferior version of the Philippine five.
Players Gilas Pilipinas Should Mark
How about everyone?
That’s how insanely good and deep China is at these Games. The stat sheets bear this out, with six Chinese averaging in double digits across two games so far. More broadly, nine of China’s twelve players average at least 8 points a game, which only means Gilas Pilipinas can expect contributions from multiple sources.
So far, though, 6-foot-4 guard Lanning Liao has been the most prolific, putting up 16.5 points and 7.5 assists to look like the best playmaker overall in these Asian Games. Guard Zhenglin Pang is also balling out, putting up 14.0 points and 5.5 assists for the tournament up to this point.
Then there are the bigs, who are poised to give Gilas Pilipinas plenty of problems. In particular, 7-foot-3 Jihao Yu (11.5 points, 6.0 rebounds) and 6-foot-11 Jinqiu Hu (10.0 points, 4.0 rebounds) look headed for big games against the undersized frontcourt of the Philippines, whose biggest players are Justine Baltazar and Brandon Bates (both 6-foot-8).
Outlook Versus China
Put simply, it will take a miracle for the Philippines to beat China later today. The latter is in fine fighting form, has great chemistry, and boasts a lethal combination of size and skill.
But, if it’s any consolation, Gilas Pilipinas can still skate through to the quarterfinals even with a loss to China as one of the two best third-place teams thanks to their blowout win versus Kazakhstan. That will happen only if Robert Bolick and company can avert a disastrous blowout of 39 points or more. In other words, if the Philippines loses by 38 points or fewer, they will still have a better point differential than Saudi Arabia, which is the other third-place team vying for that final spot in the knockout stage.
Tip-off between the Philippines and China is at 12 noon.
