Kazakhstan's 65-57 win over Qatar yesterday gave Gilas Pilipinas a slight hope of moving into the semis. That is if we defeat Kazakhstan by 11 points or more for better quotient and South Korea defeats the Qataris and force a 3 way tie between the Philippines, Qatar, and Kazakhstan.

Gilas will play Kazakhstan today, 2:15 pm live on TV5.

#LabanPilipinas #Puso

Win or Go Home for Gilas

And it all boils down to a two must-win games again.

In the recently concluded 2014 FIBA World Cup, Gilas found itself needing to win their last two games for a chance to move on into the round of 16. Unfortunately, they lost in their second to the last game against the Puerto Ricans. The 2014 Incheon Asian Games wasn't any different as Gilas, after losing an extremely important game yesterday that could've put them above everybody else in group F, found itself in the same situation again.

Gilas MUST win their last two games against the host country South Korea and Kazakhstan for a chance to qualify in the semis and contend in the medal rounds.

 It won't be easy as the South Koreans are raring to avenge their semifinal defeat against Gilas in last year's FIBA Asia Championship with them having the home court advantage this time around.

But whoever and wherever we play, I know Gilas will play with a lot of #puso till the last tick of the clock. #LabanPilipinas

2014 Asian Games: Gilas Pilipinas QF schedule

The 2014 Incheon Asian Games basketball event preliminary rounds has ended and Gilas Pilipinas (1-1) has been bracketed in group H with Qatar (2-0), Kazakhstan (1-1), and host Korea (2-0).

The other teams that qualified in the QFs are China (2-0), Mongolia (1-1), Iran (2-0), and Japan (1-1) which comprises group E of the tournament.

The top two teams in groups E and F will move on into the KO semifinals to compete for the medal rounds.

Gilas Pilipinas' first QF assignment is Qatar which will happen tomorrow at 5:30 pm.

September 27, vs Korea, 1:00 pm
September 29, vs Kazakhstan, 2:15 pm

Gilas 4th quarter woes continues as they once again drop a close game now against Iran

Gilas Pilipinas has been having problems closing their games since the 2014 FIBA World Cup where they lost 3 close games against Croatia, Argentina, and Puerto Rico. Their game against 2013 FIBA Asia champs wasn't any different.

Gilas was leading the Iranians by as much as 6 in the final 7 minutes of the game but crucial misses and turnovers hit the team which led the Iranians to win the game, 68-63.

With the loss, Gilas will join Kazakhstan in group F for the quarterfinals where they they will be joined by either Japan, Qatar, South Korea, or Mongolia.

The quarterfinals will be played in a a single-round robin format where the top two teams will have the chance to move on into the semifinals for the medal rounds.

For more info on the tournament format and matchups, go here.

Our next game is 5:30 pm tomorrow against the top team in group F which is composed of Japan, Qatar, and Kuwait.

Gilas to open Asian Games campaign against India

India will be the first Asian team to test how far Gilas Pilipinas got after their campaign in the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The Indians took the top spot in group B after winning two out of three games in the qualifying matches featuring a rout against one of the sleeping giants in Asian basketball -- Kazakhstan.

Gilas Pilipinas vs India 2014 FIBA Asia Cup

India got a lot of close games in last year's FIBA Asia Championship which was held here in Manila and even defeated a young Chinese team in this year's FIBA Asia Cup in China and Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach Josh Reyes is wary of the teams significant improvement in the last couple of years.

India is fast becoming a serious team in Asia. Their rotation of 5 big men 6'10 and over is solid!
— Josh Reyes (@josh_reyes) September 22, 2014

This will be a good test for Junmar Fajardo who is coming off a good performance against some of the top --NBA caliber centers in the world.

You can watch the game LIVE on TV5 later at 1pm. #LabanPilipinas #Puso

All systems go for Gilas Pilipinas as protests against Douthit's eligibility didn't push through

According to a text message from Gilas Pilipinas team manager Aboy Castro in a Spin.ph article, reported protests against Marcus Douthit's eligibility to replace Andray Blatche in the Gilas lineup didn't push through.

"Technical meeting finished. No issues. No one brought up Marcus' eligibility. We will play with a 12 man roster including Marcus," Castro told Spin.ph in a message.

Gilas will face the top team in group B on the 23rd before taking on the reigning FIBA Asia champs Iran on the 25th. Both games will start at 2:00 pm.

Who do you think should be removed from the lineup for Marcus Douthit?

Anticipating a worst-case scenario, Gilas Pilipinas could possibly play with just 11 players in the Incheon Asian Games Basketball event as medal contenders Iran, South Korea, Japan, and China are protesting against Marcus Douthit's inclusion in the Gilas Pilipinas lineup in place of Andray Blatche who was declared ineligible by OCA due to residency rule.

Marcus could still suit up for Gilas but the coaching staff has to remove a slot for one local player as Andray Blatche's slot could be declared 'void'.

If this happens, who do you think should be removed from the lineup for Marcus Douthit?

2014 Incheon Asian Games: Gilas Pilipinas Game Schedule

Gilas Pilipinas will kick off their 2014 Incheon Asian Games campaign next Tuesday in Incheon, South Korea against the top team in Group B which is composed of Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Palestine, and India.

The Philippines, together with Iran, South Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei are expected to be the top teams to contend for a podium finish.

Gilas vs Korea, 2013 FIBA Asia Championships

Gilas is bracketed in Group D with Iran. Teams in Groups C, D, E, and F are automatically qualified in the preliminary rounds while only the top two teams in Groups A and B will qualify.

Read: 2014 Incheon Asian Games Men's Basketball Tournament Format and Groupings

Preliminary Rounds Schedule (Manila time)

September 23, 1:00 pm
Gilas Pilipinas vs Group B #1 (Saudi Arabia / Kazakhstan / Palestine / India)

September 25, 1:00 pm
Gilas Pilipinas vs Iran

*Game schedules after this will be determined depending on the results of the Preliminary Rounds.

2014 Incheon Asian Games Men's Basketball Tournament Format and Groupings

The 2014 Incheon Asian Games Men's Basketball event will be held from September 20 to October 15 in Incheon, South Korea. The Philippines, together with Iran, South Korea, China, and Chinese Taipei are expected to be the top teams to contend for a podium finish.

China won the gold in the last Asian Games which was held in China, but their chances to defend the gold medal was dampened with the exclusion of ex-NBA player Yi Jian Lian from their roster.

The Philippines, South Korea, and Iran, meanwhile, are fresh from competing in the 2014 FIBA World Cup where they went up against the top 24 teams in the World.

While Chinese Taipei won the silver medal in this year's FIBA Asia Cup, defeating China in the semifinals, before losing to Iran in the finals.

Competition Format (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/)

• Top eight teams in 2010 that are participating in 2014 were automatically seeded and will advance to the preliminary round. The other teams will play in the qualifying round.
• The qualifying round will be composed two groups of four teams each. Each team will play the teams within their group. The top two teams per group will advance to the preliminary round.
• The preliminary round will be composed of four groups of three teams each. Each team will play the teams within their group. The top two teams per group will advance to the quarterfinals.
• The quarterfinals will be composed of two groups of four teams each. Each team will play the teams within their group they haven't played yet. The top two teams per group will advance to the final round. The bottom two qualify to the classification round.
• The classification and final rounds are single-elimination tournaments, with a consolation game for the semifinals losers. In the final round, the winner of the third place game wins the bronze medal; the loser in the final is awarded the silver medal, while the winner wins the gold medal.

Groupings (source: http://en.wikipedia.org/)

Group A	Group B	Group C	Group D	Group E	Group F
Mongolia  Hong Kong  Kuwait  Maldives	Saudi Arabia  Kazakhstan  Palestine  India	China  Chinese Taipei	South Korea  Jordan	Iran  Philippines	Japan  Qatar

FIBA backs the Philippines' stand on Blatche's eligibility for the Asian Games

September 6, 2014 | Manila, Philippines | The Philippines got a huge backing from no other than FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann regarding the Philippines' stand on Andray Blatche's eligibility to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games. Mr. Baumann sent an email dated September 5 to IAGOC saying that ONLY FIBA can decide the eligibility of a player in an international basketball competition. You can read the full copy of the email below:

 
FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann's letter to Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) re Andray Blatche's eligibility to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games
 

We have been informed that you are in charge of entering and accrediting various athletes for the upcoming Asian Games in Incheon and have just been informed that you have delisted from Entry one of the basketball athletes of the Philippine delegation.

We would like to inform you that the International Basketball Federation establishes the eligibility criteria for all basketball athletes worldwide for the purpose of their participation in national team competitions in official basketball competitions organized by or sanctioned by Fiba.

The player that you have prohibited Entry plays is registered in FIBA’s eligibility system as a player for the Philippines and has, in fact, just played several games this past week at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain for that country. It is quite confusing to hear that he is now not allowed to compete for the same team just a few weeks later.

You may not know, but—probably similar to other sports—FIBA’s eligibility rules apply, as an example, for all FIBA’s World Championships and for the Olympic Games. Also as an example, during an event like the Asian Games, FIBA’s International Referees officiate the Games and apply the Official Basketball Rules are edited by FIBA.

I am sure therefore that there must be a misunderstanding and I would kindly request that you review your decision and ally FIBA’s regulations on eligibility for all teams participating in the basketball tournament the Asian Games and re-enlist the Filipino player. This would certainly be fair for the athlete concerned and his country. Equally, if the same set of eligibility rules, namely that of the International Federation, is being applied to all international basketball events for national teams across the world, it ensures clarity for the media and the fans alike and credibility for the sport.

We look forward to hearing back from you on this matter and thank you for your understanding

Wishing you a very successful event in Incheon, I remain

Sincerely yours
Patrick Baumann
Secretary General