When it rains, it pours. After its perimeter scoring went dry as the Ilocos sand dunes against South Korea, the Team Pilipinas corps of snipers made it rain this afternoon, hitting 15 three-pointers against Chinese Taipei en route to a 77-70 victory. James Yap and Willie Miller led the way with 6 and 5 three-point baskets, respectively. Yap keyed a 3rd quarter run that allowed Team Pilipinas to take the lead after trailing for most of the game, while Miller’s last three-pointer with 20 seconds left in the game pushed the lead to 5 and sealed the deal for the Nationals.

Team Pilipinas bucked another slow start, as they had trouble containing the athletic big men of Chinese Taipei led by the long-haired Tseng Wen-Ting, who looks right out of a Hong Kong gangster flick – I could imagine him following orders from his Triad bosses after the game to put a hit on Chow Yun-Fat. The Philippines’ slower frontliners had trouble keeping in step, with the team's best athlete, Japeth Aguilar, still looking out of rhythm coming off an injury.

Things turned around in the 3rd quarter, when Yap scored 15 of his 23 points in the period on 4 three-pointers and a three-point play. Miller, Cyrus Baguio, Jayjay Helterbrand also each made a three-pointer in the quarter, including a sensational buzzer beater by Helterbrand that pushed the lead to 8, 62-54.

But Team Pilipinas relaxed at the start of the fourth quarter, allowing Chinese Taipei to tie the game with an 8-0 run, and subsequently reclaim the lead. Timely sniping from Helterbrand and Miller gave the Philippines some breathing space, even as much-maligned big men Sonny Thoss and Kerby Raymundo stepped up in the endgame to shut down Tseng and his cohorts underneath, before Miller’s dagger three put the game out of reach.

Any win at this stage is heartening, but this one was special because the team’s shooting finally came together. When we shoot this way, we always, always have a chance against any team in the tournament.

I’m worried now about our big men, not necessarily their effort (I know they’re trying their best), but their ability. With Aguilar struggling, Kelly Williams out, and Ranidel left off the team, there’s just no athleticism in the frontcourt apart from Raymundo. We always knew that we’re going to execute offense better, and games like this show that we’re going to shoot well from time to time. But we can’t do anything about our unathletic big guys. Pucha, paano mo papagalawin si Thoss na parang hindi mabigat yung bayag niya? Hindi naman na-ko-coach yun.

Up next for Team Pilipinas is defending Fiba-Asia champions Iran. Game’s live tomorrow at 11 am.