CEBU, Philippines - It was the first NBA pre-season game on Philippine soil and definitely not the last.
This was the assurance made by no less than NBA commissioner David Stern moments before the tip-off of the historic Houston-Indiana showdown that saw the Rockets riding on a vicious opening assault to blast the Pacers, 116-96, before thousands of screaming fans last night at the sprawling Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
"We are delighted to be here. Thank you for your hospitality and we are looking forward to be back here," said the 71-year-old Stern in a brief opening statement that delighted the very appreciative crowd.
"The fans here in the Philippines are great and the best I've ever seen," added Stern, who will be replaced by Adam Silver, his deputy for 22 years, when he steps down from his post next year.
The landmark event generated intense interest in this basketball-crazy nation and it was reflective on the live gate attendance as all seats were filled up despite the excessively high ticket prices costing between P33,000 to P51,000.
And in a country that considers basketball a religion, the NBA Global Games series that hit Southeast Asia for the first time was truly a resounding success as it further galvanized the Philippines' status as one of the biggest markets in the Asian region.
Showcasing their superb hoop skills before a mammoth crowd that were thrilled to the bones watching some of the best cagers on the planet playing before their eyes, a highly-charged Rockets zoomed to a 12-0 start, which they even stretched to 15, 23-8, on four straight points by Chandler Parsons with still five minutes left in the first quarter.
The Pacers though suddenly woke up from deep offensive slumber, with Paul George hitting back-to-back treys and C.J. Watson knocking in one triple in a 16-6 blitz that pulled them within just five points, 24-29.
From that moment on, the Pacers were in fighting mood for the next two quarters only as the Rockets whipped up a furious offensive storm at the endgame to come up with a 20-point blowout.
Rockets' All-Star mainstay James Harden was in his usual deadly form, dazzling his fans with his tenacious moves and dribbling skills, while Asian-American NBA sensation Jeremy Lin dazzled everyone from defending and scoring laced with his excellent ball movements.
Houston newcomer Dwight Howard also made a slight impact, but it was Omri Casspi and the 7-footer power forward Donatas Motiejunas who shone the brightest for the Rockets and brough the heaviest damage on the Pacers side.
Casspi finished with 17 points including a 3-pointer that gave the Rockets their largest lead of the night at 22 points, 112-90, at the final 2:30 mark of the contest, while Motiejunas banged in 16 markers.
"This is a good test for us because we're playing against one of the best teams in the league. It was a good game for us," said Casspi. "We just keep on playing and learning the game."
The match drew positive reviews from some fans who take pride for being part of a historic moment in Phl sports.
"This is kinda like watching video game characters come to life to duke it out on Philippine soil," tweeted @iManonica on Philstar.com's live blog on NBA Global Games Philippines.
"Rockets or Pacers. Whichever. Hehe just love watching that kind of a ball game," blurted out @JohMCruz.
Indeed, the Filipinos emerged as the biggest winner for finally earning the reward of their unbridled passion and long love affair with basketball and the NBA. (FREEMAN)