THAILAND needed time to get its act together, while Indonesia was simply overwhelming yesterday at the start of the Southeast Asia Basketball Association Championship at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Thais turned to the free-throw line towards the end of the third period before turning the tables on Malaysia for a 74-67 triumph.
Meanwhile, the Indons took a 13-3 blast and they never looked back as they went on to post a 71-50 smothering of Singapore.
This gave the Thais and the Indons the early lead in the opener of this weeklong meet.
Shooting guard Chichai Ananti led the Thais with 24 points and eight rebounds.
His two charities in the last 2:37 of the third tied the contest at 47-all, and his baskets found their mark just as the Malaysians struggled with foul trouble.
After that, freebies from Patiphan Klahan and Nattakam Muangboom put the Thais ahead, 51-48.
The Indons, who did not field naturalized player Jamarr Johnson for fear of being scouted, coasted to an easy 18-3 advantage in the first period.
Mario Wuysang, who was hot with 20 points and six triples, struck with two triples in the first 10 minutes.
From there, Indonesia went on to limit Singapore to eight points in the second period, before finishing first half with a 40-11 edge.
Gilas, which was playing Myanmar as of presstime, clashes with Singapore on Saturday, before facing Malaysia on Sunday. Monday is a rest day.
The tournament will be Gilas’ stepping stone to a higher level of competition as the tournament offers a lone ticket to the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup.
The Philippines is considered a traditional favorite since it has dominated the tournament for many years.
Aside from naturalized player Blatche, PBA superstars like JuneMar Fajardo, Jayson Castro, Japeth Aguilar, and Calvin Abueva are expected to give Gilas the needed punch in their coming encounters.
