Following an 84-44 rout over defending champion Malaysia, the Nationals were in their fiercest form as six Filipinos finished in double figures led by San Beda’s Ogie Menor and Adamson’s Darryl Bautista.
Earlier, Thailand nipped Malaysia, 74-70, to improve to a 1-1 (win-loss) card even as the Malaysians dropped to a 0-2 card in the tournament organized by the Basketball Association of the Philippines and the local governments of Quezon and Lucena City and supported by Burlington Socks, Cebuana Lhuillier, Healthy Options, Lifan, Molten, YKL, Absolute Distilled Water, Accel and the Philippine Sports Commission.