Two wins to journey back to the Worlds

MANILA, Philippines - Down to three days, two wins. Will the nation end a long wait for a trip back to the World Cup or extend its stay in basketball limbo?

History beckons Gilas Pilipinas the next three days beginning with its quarterfinal duel with Kazakhstan tonight at the start of the FIBA-Asia Championship quarterfinals at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

It has reached the all-important knockout stage in a mission for Spain that ebbed and flowed the week past typified by its decisive win over Qatar and a wavering stand against lowly Hong Kong in the last two days of the eliminations.

Instead of coming in with its confidence boosted by its 80-70 win over Qatar Tuesday, and cheered on by their loyal fans, Gilas Pilipinas will meet Kazakhstan at 8:30 p.m. haunted by mortal thoughts of their poor showing against the Crown Colony side.

“Nothing is easy, nothing is sure,” said Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes, uneasy especially after their scrambling performance against Hong Kong, 67-55.

Six other teams vie for a Final Four berth with fancied Iran going up against Jordan at 3 p.m., China squaring off with Chinese Taipei at 5:45 p.m. and Korea taking on Qatar at 10:30 p.m.

Bahrain battles Hong Kong at 10:30 a.m. then Japan clashes with India at 12:45 p.m. in the fight for ninth to 12th places.

A victory over Kazakhstan will give the Philippines two cracks at a World Cup berth.

But instead of using the Hong Kong match as a boost for the do-or-die matches, the Nationals let the lowly Hong Kong team expose their weakness and lack of sound plays.

But hopefully, like after their loss to Chinese Taipei, the Nationals will come back strong to get past a Kazakhstan side waiting for ambush.

Experts are one in saying Gilas Pilipinas can’t take Kazakhstan for granted.

“Kazakhstan is unorthodox,” said Gilas assistant coach Jong Uichico.

“And we have to stand their physicality. It’s hard to match because it’s not our game. We just have to raise a little the level of our physicality,” Uichico added. “More physicality, and we might lose our game. We just have to be tough.”

 â€œThey’re definitely taller and heftier than us. It’s not going to be easy,” said Ryan Gregorio, another Gilas assistant coach.

“I think we’re up there match-up wise. But we have to come out with a lot of energy and set the tone right away. We can’t come out flat,” said Derrick Pumaren, consultant to the Hong Kong team.

“If they play the way they did against Hong Kong, they’re dead. A big key is how Ranidel de Ocampo plays. He would make it easier for Gilas if he makes his outside shots and draws his defender out of the paint,” said Dindo Pumaren.

Both teams, however, are suffering from player injuries with Marcus Douthit and De Ocampo to Gilas and Jerry Johnson, Mikhail Yevstigneyed and Konstantin Dvirny to Kazakhstan.

The Philippines has an old score to settle with Kazakhstan, the team bumping the Filipinos out of the top three in the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

“Matagal na yon. At madalang silang mag-compete (That was a long time ago and they hardly compete). That’s why it’s hard to scout them. It’s hard to read their game,” said Uichico, the mentor of that ill-fated 2002 Phl squad.