Lanete, Tiu propel Phl 5 vs Malaysians

MANILA, Philippines - Garvo Lanete fired 14 points while Chris Tiu dished off nine assists as Team Philippines waylaid Malaysia, 85-50, for its third straight victory in the SEABA (Southeast Asian Basketball Association) Championship in Chiang Mai, Thailand yesterday.

Lanete, a former San Beda hotshot, spiked his game-long brilliance with two triples as he combined with Marcus Douthit, who imposed his will inside the paint and finished with a double-double effort of 11 points and 10 rebounds for the defending champions.

Tiu, the former Gilas I skipper, scored only four points but directed the team’s play with authority while coming up with four rebounds in another superb all-around game.

The Nationals go for a sweep today against the hosts today but expect the same result and a berth in the FIBA Asia Cup, formerly the Stankovic Cup, in Tokyo, Japan later in the year.

Gilas II smashed Singapore, 96-58, in the opener and then slammed Indonesia, 80-52, last Thursday to underscore its domination of the event.