MANILA, Philippines – Andray Blatche suffered a sprain to his right ankle the day before against Japan, but someone forgot to tell Andray Blatche.
The naturalized Gilas Pilipinas center showed the speed, timing and confidence as he contributed 18 points, 7 rebounds, 4 steals and two blocks in Gilas Pilipinas’ upset victory over the defending FIBA Asia champions Iran, 87-73, on Monday, September 28.
Blatche had a number of highlight plays in his first FIBA showdown with Asia star center Hamed Haddadi, including a Harlem Globetrotter-esque up-and-under layup that is usually reserved for players a foot shorter than his 6-foot-10 frame.
Blatche continues to be a dominant defensive force in the paint, as demonstrated by the volleyball spike block on Mehdi Kamrani in the third quarter which further ignited the Philippines second half surge.
Blatche wasn’t alone in his contributions however. Jayson Castro, lauded as the best point guard in Asia at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, showed he was still the man at the one position with 26 points and 3 assists, while Terrence Romeo scored 15 and Calvin Abueva turned in 16 points and 6 rebounds.
The Philippines now holds a 3-1 record cumulative record and looks to continue its streak as they close out the second round against India tomorrow, Tuesday, September 28 at 2:30 pm. – Rappler.com
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