Team Pilipinas goes all out vs tall Chinese team today

MANILA, Philippines - Ranged against a tall, talent-laden China five, Eric Altamirano believes the Nokia U-16 Team Pilipinas has a good, fighting chance as the Nationals battles the fancied Chinese in the semifinal round of the FIBA Asia U-16 Men’s Championship at the Bandaraya Stadium in Johor Bahru, Malaysia late Thursday.

“The Chinese are not kids, they’re giants. They have a mature game and they know how to win big game like this,” Altamirano said on the eve of their showdown with the Chinese.

“We just have to play more as a team, hide our weaknesses and stick to our game plan. We have a very effective system and we’ll use it to our advantage.”

Iran and Korea dispute the other finals berth in the tournament which offers two berths to the 2010 FIBA World U-17 Men’s Championship in Hamburg, Germany.

“We’re hoping to face Korea rather than China. But it’s our fate. There must be a reason. Now, we have no choice but to play our hearts out,” said Altamirano, a member of the legendary RP Youth Team of 1986.

The Nationals crushed Japan, Kazakhstan and Bahrain in the eliminations but lost to Iran, 70-76, in the quarterfinals and missed arranging a semis showdown with Korea.

Parading a powerful team with an average height of 6-foot-4 and skills of full-grown men, China was regarded as the most feared squad in this week-long tournament after beating their rivals in emphatic fashions.

After breezing through the eliminations, the Chinese creamed Chinese Taipei by 47, 108-61; Korea by 70, 121-51; and Japan by 50, 115-65.

Altamirano said they were already familiar with the Chinese’s style of game after meeting them in the Nike All-Asia Basketball Camp in Beijing last June and Asian Youth Games in Singapore last August.

They also clashed in a series of exhibition matches in Beijing last July where Team Pilipinas was given a chance to mingle with Chinese coaches and visit their training facilities.

“If somebody brings it up, then we will support it,” he said. “But we will not take the lead. We’d rather win the game on the court than in the board room.”

“We’re gonna fight until the end. We’re not a tall team. We just have to find a way to hide our weaknesses and use our strength-- which is speed and ball handling-- to our advantage.”