Gilas escapes USA, places 2nd behind Iran in Jones Cup

Sonny Thoss and Ranidel de Ocampo of Gilas Pilipinas apply swarming defense on an American player during their Jones Cup match last night in Taipei. (Inquirer)

TAIPEI – Playing without a point guard and two of its leading scorers, Gilas Pilipinas still ran a tall USA Select-Overtake club to the ground on Saturday and held on for a, 78-74 victory for second place in the Jones Cup won by Iran at Xenzhuang gymnasium, here.

Using quickness and their outside shots as weapons, the Filipinos peeled away from the Americans – playing hard all game in a match that was well-applauded by a huge crowd of OFWs enjoying their days off – in the third period before warding off the enemy in a furious finish.

Terrence Romeo, down with a swollen left ankle and Jimmy Alapag, who has a leg injury, were joined in the sidelines by Jason Castro, whom coach Tab Baldwin elected to rest after a hard game against the Wellington Saints of New Zealand on Friday.

Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Gabe Norwood still quarterbacked a strong running game that the Americans couldn’t keep up to, as Gilas took a 55-37 lead late in the third quarter before playing it smart in the final minutes to win.

Sonny Thoss drained three straight medium-range jumpers that to keep the Filipinos’ collective heads above water, 74-66 lead going into the last 1:23.

There was no quit in the Americans as they came within 71-74 on two JC Bradford free throws, before Dondon Hontiveros, one of the heroes for Gilas in a 92-88 overtime win over the Wellington Saints of New Zealand on Friday, sealed the deal with two charities with 2.3 ticks left.

Former PBA imports Marquin Chandler, who saw action for Purefoods, and Calvin Warner, who played last season for GlobalPort, were the main guns of the Americans.

It was the fifth win in seven games for the Filipinos, who will close out with an expected win over young and winless Chinese Taipei-B on Sunday at 1 p.m.

Iran triumphed for the fifth time here after a 78-54 win over Spartak Primorye of Russia in an earlier game for an unreachable 7-1 card.

Mahdi Kamrani scored 20 points, Hamed Afagh 16 and Hamed Haddadi had 11 and seven rebounds for the Iranians, the defending Asian champions who were also kings here for three straight years from 2009 and two years ago when Gilas did not play.

The Iranians’ only loss came at the hands of these same Americans when Iran coaching staff decided to rest Haddadi in preparation for the Filipinos whom they beat the next day, 74-65.

The Philippines, which won the last of its four titles with a different Gilas crew in 2012, finished second for the first time. The Filipinos also have three third place efforts, all coming in the 2000s.