MANILA, Philippines – Jason Perkins dominated in his first foray in 3×3 basketball after powering Gilas Pilipinas to a perfect start in the 2019 Southeast Asian Games on Sunday, December 1 at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.

Perkins was a revelation as the Philippines wrapped Day 1 with a sweep of Indonesia, Myanmar, Vietnam, and Thailand to punch its semifinals ticket. 

The hefty forward led the attack in all 4 games, ending the day with a 7-point outing in a 21-10 drubbing of Thailand that finished even with more than two minutes left. 

Perkins’ best scoring performance came in a 10-point outburst against Myanmar as he fueled Gilas Pilipinas to a 21-10 romp. 

CJ Perez backstopped Perkins with an average of 7.0 points per game, while Mo Tautuaa had his moments – the highlight of his day the game-winning two-pointer that took down erstwhile-unbeaten Vietnam, 21-15.

Earlier, the Philippines – also featuring Chris Newsome in its four-man lineup – opened its campaign with a 21-17 win over Indonesia. 

Gilas Pilipinas will play two more games in the preliminary round on Tuesday, December 2, at the same venue before advancing to the semifinals.

Results

1. Philippines vs Indonesia 21-17

Scores: Perkins 9, Perez 8, Tautuaa 3, Newsome 1 

2. Philippines vs Myanmar 21-10

Scores: Perkins 10, Perez 6, Tautuaa 3, Newsome 2. 

3. Philippines vs Vietnam 21-15 

Scores: Perez 8, Perkins 8, Tautuaa 3, Newsome 2. 

4. Philippines vs Thailand 21-10

Scores: Perkins 7, Perez 6, Tautuaa 5, Newsome 3 

– Rappler.com