2013 FIBA Asia Championship: Philippines Gilas beat Jordan share of top spot in Group A

The Philippine national basketball team put up a tough defense and a good offense to defeat Jordan, 77-71, in Group C play of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship held at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

Gilas reeled off 17 unanswered points in a 20-4 run in a third quarter fueled by good defense and offensive rebounding, seizing a 53-42 lead against their taller foes. Jordan fought back, launching a late 9-3 run in the final three minutes, but with 35 seconds left on the clock, had to resort to intentional fouls. Gilas coolly sealed the game from the line to take their second win in the tournament.

Gilas struggled in the first quarter as they were outmuscled by Jordan in the paint. After taking an initial 4-2 lead on a Ranidel De Ocampo trey, Wessam Al-Sous and Mohammad Hadrab tormented the Philippines with their inside-out play. The pair combined for three triples in an ensuing 16-3 run, capped by a driving layup by Ali Zaghab, 18-7.

With under three minutes to play, Gilas called a timeout to earn a foothold in the match. Twin makes by Marcus Douthit complemented a Jeff Chan trey, paving the way for a 9-2 run to end the first period, 20-16.

Gilas enjoyed their best shooting stretch so far in the tournament as their first three field goals came from beyond the arc, courtesy of Chan and LA Tenorio, but Jordan maintained their lead thanks to easy buckets, including a breakaway layup by Jimmy Baxter and a Hussein putback, 28-25.

Hussein continued to overpower the defense, fighting inside to score six of their last 10 points. Similar to the first period, Gilas awoke in the last three minutes to keep the game close. De Ocampo's second trey and crafty playmaking by Jayson Castro gave them closing 8-2 run, trailing 38-33 after the second period.

Jordan shot 14-of-30 (47 percent) from the field, including 5-of-15 (33 percent) on three-pointers. In comparison, Gilas made 11-of-37(30 percent) of their attempts, counting 7-of-20 (35 percent) from long range. Gilas led in points off turnovers, 13-5, while Jordan held a 10-4 margin in points in the paint.

Gilas led in turnover points, 23-12, off a 13-17 turnover advantage.

Mohammad Hadrab led all scorers with 19 points. Jimmy Baxter added 14 points and six rebounds, while Wessam Al-Sous offered 13 points, including 3-of-8 makes from beyond the arc.