MANILA, Philippines – JC Intal joined the highlight reel party on Friday, September 25, as Gilas Pilipinas cruised to a 110-64 victory over the 70th ranked Kuwait in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Changsha, Hunan, China. (READ: Gilas breezes past Kuwait, advances to FIBA Asia second round)
The 31-year old swingman finished with 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting from the field to go with a rebound and an assist in a productive near-13 minutes on the floor for the Philippine national men's basketball team. (HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas vs Kuwait – 2015 FIBA Asia Championship)
One of his field goals was a powerful high-rising one-handed slam after he easily took the ball away from a Kuwaiti player towards the end of the game. (READ: JC Intal sees Gilas stint as 'dream come true')
Before that, the 6-foot-4 former Ateneo de Manila University standout displayed his athleticism, catching the pass from Gabe Norwood in the air for the reverse lay-up (WATCH: Terrence Romeo's killer crossover, Calvin Abueva's throwdown vs Kuwait)
Intal was among the surprise inclusions in the national team pool early on but has since shown tremendous work ethic and desire to prove himself worthy of his dream come true.
Gilas, who wrapped up Group B action with a 2-1 slate, will move on to play in Group E of the second round and will face reigning champion Iran, India, and Japan with their carryover record of 1-1. Their win versus Kuwait will not be included as Kuwait is already eliminated.
Palestine and Hong Kong will also advance to Group E and will face the 3 new teams from Group A.
The top 4 teams from each of the two groups in the second round will advance to the knockout quarterfinals.
The second group phase starts on Sunday, September 27, after a one-day break. – Rappler.com