DOHA – Unrelenting on both ends, Gilas Pilipinas easily repeated its 92-81 conquest of Qatar in their earlier match, fashioning out a murderous 84-46 romp in their rematch here Thursday night (early Friday Manila time) to stay in the hunt for a ticket to the 2019 FIBA World Cup. The Nationals dealt the Qataris the severest blows in a third-quarter onslaught where Andray Blatche, Paul Lee and Japeth Aguilar combined for six 3-pointers to highlight their breakaway. There were also Gabe Norwood finishing a fastbreak on a thunderous two-handed jam, and Aguilar and Poy Erram authoritatively swatting away enemy shots in the decisive quarter that all but sealed Gilas’ sweep of the Qataris in their home-and-away series. A predominantly Filipino cheering crowd filled the Al-Gharafa Sports Club Multi-Purpose Hall and stood as witness as the Nationals pulled the crucial victory that jacked up their record to 6-5 (win-loss) in Group F. Gilas stayed at fourth place in the group, though, as Japan also repeated over Iran, 97-89, in Tehran earlier in the day. The Japanese caught up with the Iranians at second place at 7-4. Team Philippines must beat Kazakhstan in Astana on Sunday to have a shot at a World Cup berth as the “best fourth placer” from the Asian qualifiers. “For as long as we make the World Cup, that’s the most important thing,” said Gilas coach Yeng Guiao. The Nationals hit at an amazing 15-of-30 clip from the three-point land that Guiao felt started from their tremendous work on the defensive end. “We just played great defense from start to finish. The energy was there. The guys worked very hard, every single one of them,” said Guiao pointing to Blatche, though, as the “game-changer.” “Andray created opportunities for us on defense and offense. He changed the whole team. The guys feel good playing with him,” Guiao pointed out. The nine-year NBA veteran marked his return to Gilas with a near triple-double effort with 17 points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. He also laced his solid all-around game with three three-point bombs in the third quarter. “We’re focused on defense and in getting the rebounds. It helped us. Each guy gave their best and we did a great job that we hope to continue to the next game,” said Blatche. Marcio Lassiter frolicked with 4-of-4 triples and finished with 14 points, Lee sizzled with three treys and wound up with 13 markers that went with seven rebounds and two assists while Jayson Castro chipped in two triples and a total of 11 buckets. Unlike in their previous match, the Nationals hit strides early and led by 10, 31-21, at the half. In their previous tiff, Team Philippines struggled badly in the first 20 minutes of play, trailing by as many as 17 before finding their touch. The scores: The Philippines 84 – Blatche 17, Lassiter 14, Lee 13, Castro 11, Aguilar 10, Barroca 7, Erram 6, Rosario 4, Norwood 2, Fajardo 0, Ravena 0, Thompson 0. Qatar 46 – Saeed 10, Elhadary 7, Fouda 6, Gueye 5, Khalid 5, Al-Rayes 3, Muslic 3, Mujkic 2, Abdelhaleem 2, Mohmmed 2, Avdic 1, Al-Darwish 0. Quarterscores: 15-11, 31-21, 62-30, 84-46<doc-sep>DOHA, Qatar -- Gilas Pilipinas last faced Qatar in a nearly empty Smart-Araneta Coliseum. With a loud and boisterous group of fans expected to be on hand in Doha for Friday's game, Gilas hopes this time against Qatar will feel like a true home game. Gilas beat Qatar 92-81 last September. The game had to be played behind closed doors as part of the FIBA sanctions handed down as a result of the Philippines-Australia brawl last July. Without the usual support from the home crowd, Gilas felt like a guest team in its own city. Now, players and coaches feel like they can finally make use of its "home court" advantage in Doha. "Now that we're here in Qatar, it looks like we're going to feel what we did not feel in Araneta, just by the mere enthusiasm of the Filipinos that we see everywhere," Gilas coach Yeng Guiao said. "What we didn't feel during the closed-door game when our countrymen were not able to watch, I think it's going to be the reverse here." Ever since the team landed at the Doha International Airport, the Filipino community in Qatar has shown up for Gilas Pilipinas. With over 200,000 Filipinos working and living in Doha, visiting Pinoys feel at home. Filipino fans have flocked to Gilas' practices to catch a glimpse of the team and pose for selfies. The team attended a meet-and-greet event last Tuesday attended by approximately 100 fans. After being deprived of fan support in the last Qatar game, Gilas looks forward to playing in front of a raucous crowd on Thursday. "We draw strength from the Filipino fans who keep going to our practices and keep supporting us. Even in the game, we expect them to be there," Guiao said. "One of the reasons why we really want to win is because we want to make Filipinos happy, not only those in the Philippines but also those who are here in Qatar."<doc-sep>
DOHA, Qatar -- Gilas Pilipinas dominated both ends of the floor in the second half to rout Qatar 84-46 in the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup qualifiers Friday at the Al Gharafa Sports Club Hall. GROUP F STANDINGS TEAM W L Australia 10 1 Japan 7 4 Iran 7 4 Philippines 6 5 Kazakhstan 4 7 Qatar 2 9 As of Feb. 22 It felt like a home game for the Philippine team as thousands of Filipino fans showed up in support of Gilas. Andray Blatche, who missed the last two windows of the qualifiers, made a huge comeback with 17 points, 15 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks. Gilas shot 50 percent from 3-point range, connecting for 15 3-pointers. Marcio Lassiter unleashed four 3-pointers to finish with 14 points, while Paul Lee delivered 13 points, seven rebounds, and two assists. "We just played great defense. We were consistent from start to finish. Our energy was there and the guys worked really hard," Gilas coach Yeng Guiao said. Lee and Blatche opened the third quarter with four straight 3-pointers to set the tone for Gilas' dominant second half. The Philippines continued with its hot shooting and stifling defense to mount a 31-point lead heading into the final period. Qatar never had the chance to catch up as Gilas sustained its momentum until the end of the match. Gilas limited Qatar to just 28 percent shooting from the field. Only Erfan Ali Saeed reached double-digits for Qatar with 10 points. The Philippines is in fourth place of Group F at 6-5, behind Australia (10-1), Iran (7-4), and Japan (7-4). Japan defeated Iran 97-89 in a qualifying game earlier today. THE SCORES Philippines 84 - Blatche 17, Lassiter 14, Lee 13, Castro 11, Aguilar 10, Barroca 7, Erram 7, Rosario 4, Norwood 2, Ravena 0, Thompson 0, Fajardo 0. Qatar 46 - Saeed 10, Elhadary 7, Fouda 6, Gueye 5, Khalid 5, Al-Rayes 3, Muslic 3, Abdelhaleem 2, Mohmedd 2, Mujkic 2, Avdic 1, Al-Darwish 0. Quarters: 15-11, 31-21, 62-30, 84-46. EXTRA DRIBBLES Guiao was ejected late in the game after incurring two technical fouls. Guiao complained about a non-call following a hit on Thirdy Ravena during an alley-oop attempt. JP Erram made his presence felt on the defensive end, finishing with four blocks to go with six points. Blatche and Japeth Aguilar had two blocks apiece. June Mar Fajardo played only three minutes due to illness. NEXT GAME Gilas Pilipinas vs Kazakhstan on February 24 in Astana.