Tiu sizzles but Gilas succumbs to LA five

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Gilas Pilipinas drew strength from skipper Chris Tiu’s explosion but couldn’t keep up with the bigger Los Angeles Slam and absorbed a heartbreaking 107-111 loss yesterday in the maetch that served as part of their exhibition stint with American Basketball Association teams in the United States.

Pitted against the taller, heftier Slam, the Nationals leaned on their speed and outside shooting anchored on Tiu’s 36-point output to give the LA club a big scare .

“More than the result, our goal here is to toughen up everybody and gain more experience against taller, bigger teams,” said Smart Gilas team manager Frankie Lim, who is also in the US.