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Wednesday, August 16, 2017
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MANILA – South Korea will face off with the Philippines in the FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinals after turning back Japan 81-68 in Beirut, Lebanon.
Big men Oh Sekeun and Lee Seong Hyun each scored 16 to pace the Koreans, who bucked a slow start against the hot-shooting Japanese and went on a late tear to peel off from a tight 57-56 contest at the Noufad Nawfal Sports Complex.
Gilas drew a bye after topping Pool B with a perfect 3-0 record, highlighted by an upset win over the defending champion China.
The Philippine-South Korea showdown for a place in the semifinals will be at 11:30 Wednesday night, Manila time.
The Koreans have dealt the Filipinos a number of heartbreakers, but Gilas ended that curse with a memorable 2013 FIBA Asia semifinals victory in Manila that earned it a ticket to the 2014 FIBA World Cup in Spain.
The last time the two teams met, Korea beat a Gilas team made up predominantly of cadets 83-72 in the 39th Jones Cup in Chinese-Taipei.
Meanwhile, Christian Standhardinger was sure to play for Gilas in the knockout quarterfinals after missing their final group match against Qatar on Sunday due to severe stiff neck and shoulder.
“Pain or no pain, I will play on Wednesday when it really counts,” the Filipino-German slotman told Kuwentong Gilas. “I needed to do what I can be to be 100 percent and to help the team as much as I can.”
The 27-year-old center’s stiffness on the neck and shoulder got worse during their game against Iraq. “Somebody hit me on the back, and I heard it pop,” he said. “Since then, I felt a lot of pain when moving.”
Team doctors also gave Calvin Abueva and Carl Bryan Cruz, who both sustained minor injuries during the Sunday game, a go-signal for the match against the Koreans. June Mar Fajardo, meanwhile, may still not play for Gilas. (SPIN.ph and Adrian Stewart Co/PN)
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