Japanese wary of Gilas, look at speed as key
Photo from FIBA.com
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas strikes fear at the heart of the Japanese, who believe they have to be at their best to beat the Filipinos in their match in the opening window of the FIBA Asia World Cup home-and-away qualifying series on November 24 at the Komazawa Sports Gymnasium in Tokyo.
In the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, the Filipinos swept the Japanese in two games, scoring a 73-66 win in the elimination round then repeating with an 81-70 triumph in the semifinals.
"I think speed will be important,” said ace Japan playmaker Yuki Togashi in their rematch with the Filipinos.
"The Philippines are very strong with their one-on-one plays, as if they are playing street ball. We have to be careful because with their strong offense, they can score 10 points in just a minute or two,” Togashi also said on a Fiba.com report.
"We have to step up on defense, including myself, and then from there we have to make sure to get the defensive rebounds, which has been a problem for us. If we can get the rebounds, I can run the fast break,” added Togashi, an NBA D-League veteran with the Texas Legends.
A key addition that could help the Japanese in every aspect of the game is former PBA import Ira Brown.
There’s also new coach Julio Llamas and the new system that the Japanese have embraced.
Even then, the Japanese feel they’re the underdogs versus the Filipinos especially with Gilas’ better finish in the recent FIBA Asia Cup. Team Philippines wound up seventh while the Japanese finished ninth.
The Filipinos, however, are behind in preparation for their November 24 rematch.
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