First Day Basketball Results at 16th Asiad 2010

On the first day of Basketball competition at the 16th Asian Games, North Korea defeated Hong Kong 78 – 71 and Philippines beat Kuwait 76-69 during knockout stage play.

North Korea took the court against Hong Kong after an 8 year absence from International play and got off to a slow start. Hong Kong jumped out to a 14-3 lead, connecting from three point range on three consecutive possessions in the first quarter. Soon however, the North Korean team, who last participated in the 2002 Asian Games, settled down and cut into the lead. Going into halftime, Hong Kong led by 1 point.

After the break, North Korea was a new team, going on a 17-2 run and taking control. Pak Un Chol scored 19 pts for North Korea (7/10 FG, 3/4 3pt) and grabbed 5 rebounds in 29 minutes. Pak Myong Jin also shot the ball well, tallying 18 pts (5/9 3pt) with 7 rebounds and 3 assists. Hong Kong didn’t go away easily, but a slight edge in North Korea’s overall shooting was the difference.

Rameshkumar Durairaju of India was a referee for the match. With the loss, Hong Kong was eliminated, while North Korea moves onto the second round where they will face Jordan.

The second game showcased Smart Gilas (Philippines) versus Kuwait. Team Kuwait showed a lot of hustle and determination, as would be expected of a team facing elimination under knockout stage rules. Playing with nothing to lose, Kuwait was able to take a 12 point lead in the first half, frustrating the Philippines and never allowing them to find their comfort zone. The Philippines have been in training the last two years with this team as they attempt to built towards qualifying for FIBA World’s, and were heavily favored to win this game. However, they were actually down 1 point with five minutes remaining. But Marcio Lassiter’s three put the Philippines up 64-61 with under four minutes to play and was the pivotal play. Lassiter led the way for Philippines with 16 points (4/9 3pt), 5 rebounds, 2 assists, 0 turnovers, 3 steals, and 1 block in 30 minutes off the bench.

Although they were eliminated, Kuwait’s effort was commendable. The national team’s participation in this tournament was in doubt until recently and their practice time was limited. The star for Kuwait was 5’10 G Ahmad Albaloushi, who scored 21 points on 9-for-14 shooting in 38 minutes. Center Saleh Albrahim was undersized, but held his own in the post with 17 points and 14 rebounds. Philippines moves on to face Iran in second round play.

Knockout round play resumes tomorrow with Mongolia taking on Turkmenistan. The following day, India will play Afghanistan.