KUALA LUMPUR – Kobe Paras dished out his best game yet in powering Gilas Pilipinas to a 129-34 demolition of lowly Myanmar on Tuesday night in the 29th Southeast Asian Games 2017 men’s basketball at the MABA Stadium here.
Reymar Jose led the Nationals in scoring with 22 points even as Paras shone brightest with his all-around performance of 20 points, eight rebounds, four assists, seven steals and four blocks as Gilas logged its second straight victory in as many games.
Paras enjoyed the moments as he could, slamming the ball four times in the one-sided contest and drawing loud cheers from thousands of OFWs who came to support the young Gilas squad, which narrowly escaped Thailand, 81-74, in its first outing last Sunday.
Gilas is expecting another tough game as it faces host Malaysia on Wednesday night. Malaysia split its first two games, winning over Myanmar but bowing to Thailand, 90-75, on Monday.
The nationals are looking to top Group B to enter the crossover semifinals.
Meanwhile, Perlas Pilipinas scored a similar 123-33 lopsided win over Myanmar to bounce back from a 68-78 defeat against Singapore for a 2-1 win-loss slate.
Center Clare Castro led Perlas with 21 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks.