Gilas Pilipinas vs. Qatar: TV Info, Live Stream and Preview for 2014 Asian Games
It is quarterfinals time at the 2014 Asian Games basketball competition, and fans will be treated to a showdown between a strong Philippines team and an undefeated Qatar squad.
The Philippines finished the preliminary round with a 1-1 record after beating India 85-76 and narrowly missing out on a victory over powerhouse Iran in a 68-63 loss. As for Qatar, it beat Kuwait handily, 79-69, and then squeaked past Japan, 72-71.
Here is a look at all the pertinent information for the critical quarterfinals matchup:
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Date: Friday, September 26
Time: 5:30 p.m. Manila time
TV info and live stream: The game will be broadcast on Kapatid TV5, with live stream coverage available via the event's official website (only available in the Philippines) and EverSport's full coverage of the 2014 Asian Games.
The Philippines is looking for its first Asian Games gold medal in more than 50 years. It looked the part of a contender against Iran in the preliminary stages in a rematch of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships in Manila, even if it lost in heartbreaking fashion.
The key for the Philippines will be its defense against the Qatar duo of Khalid Suliman Abdi and Erfan Ali Saeed. Abdi averaged 18.5 points a game in the early going, while Saeed posted nightly averages of 13.5 points and 6.5 rebounds.
Interestingly, these two sides matched up in the 2013 Asian Games. The Philippines ended up on top in that one, 80-70, and that was when Qatar had the services of naturalized player Jarvis Hayes. Hayes will not be participating this time around.
The Philippines team was happy to remember that game on the eve of Friday’s showdown:
International basketball fans may remember that the Philippines was led by Andray Blatche at the FIBA World Cup. The former Brooklyn Nets center dominated during the proceedings and averaged 21.2 points and 13.8 rebounds a game.
Team captain Jimmy Alapag commented on that experience, via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype.com:
"The type of relationships he built with the guys on the team in one month and a half and the effort in games and practices really said a lot about Andray. We were on the road together for about a month. That helped a lot to build that camaraderie and get to know Andray better. He was committed to the program from Day 1 and I think it showed.
"
Unfortunately for the Philippines, it does not have the luxury of Blatche down low this time around.
Still, Alapag is on the roster as the leader, and he is joined by the high-scoring combination of Jeffrei Chan and Marcus Douthit. Both Douthit and Chan scored 14 points in the opening victory and will be key for the Philippines if it hopes to counter the attack of Abdi and Saeed.
While Qatar may have finished 2-0 in preliminary play, Philippines has the better overall roster. It picked up critical experience at the FIBA World Cup and will look to reach the Asian Games championship game again.
Look for a close Philippines victory.
Prediction: Philippines 81, Qatar 74
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