Gilas faces explosive Harris-led Jordan in Window 4 of WCQ – BusinessWorld Online
JORDAN is bringing in the top gun of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers (WCQ) — Jalen Harris — as it rekindles its old rivalry with Gilas Pilipinas on Friday.
Mr. Harris, a former NBA player with the Toronto Raptors, led all scorers in the first round with 27 points per game on a 45.3% marksmanship from beyond the arc.
He is best remembered for his 42-point eruption spiked by eight triples in the Falcons’ 100-48 thrashing of Syria last November in the first round, which went down as the second-most points of all time by a player in a WCQ game — just two points short of shattering the 43 set by Korea’s Ra Gun (also known as Ricardo Ratliffe) back in 2018.
The 6-foot-5 Mr. Harris also averaged 4.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists in his first six appearances with Jordan and powered the Falcons to an initial 5-1 record.
“Mr. Harris is always a threat on the floor and is one of those scorers who can heat up anytime,” was how the FIBA described the 28-year-old Mr. Harris, who succeeded Rondae Hollis-Jefferson as the Falcons’ naturalized player.
As such, coach Tim Cone’s squad is expected to have its hands full defensively as it faces the explosive Mr. Harris in the crucial Window 4 gig at the SM MOA Arena.
Also tipped to give the Nationals a headache are 6-foot-11 Ahmad Al Dwairi, who accounted for 12.2 markers, 7.8 boards and 2.5 dimes per game, and 6-foot-2 playmaker Freddy Ibrahim, who posted 1.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 5.8 assists in Round 1.
The Pinoy dribblers are looking to reassert their mastery of Jordan coming off their 75-61 win in a pre-FIBA Asia Cup tune-up in Jeddah in August last year as well as their celebrated 70-60 triumph in their dispute for the Asian Games gold medal in Hangzhou in October 2023.
The rivalry duel in Group E is a must-win for Mr. Cone and Co. (2-4), who need to arrest a four-game skid in the Qualifiers to enhance their shot at a return trip to next year’s global meet. — Olmin Leyba