New Zealand shut the door on Gilas Pilipinas men's 3x3 with a 21-13 semifinal beating Sunday in the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup in Singapore.
The Tall Blacks banked on the inside plays of Zach Easthope and Dominique Kelman-Poto and the outside sniping of Nikau McCullough to take the fight out of the Filipinos and beat them for a place in the final.
Despite the loss, Gilas 3x3 stalwarts Almond Vosotros, Joseph Eriobu, Samboy de Leon and Lervin Flores can still go home with a breakthrough podium finish as they're set for the battle for third slated at 7:45 p.m.
The PBA 3x3-powered Nationals would face the loser of the other semifinal duel between Australia and China.
The Filipino kept in step with the Kiwis early on with Vosotros, Eriobu and Flores finding their marks to stay within 5-8 count.
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The taller New Zealand bets then went to the 6-foot-7 Easthope and 6-foot-6 Poto underneath to pound on the shorter Pinoys. The Tall Blacks broke away to 12-5 and were safely ahead when McCullough put them on the hill on a two-pointer, 20-12.
TnT gunner Vosotros, the PBA 3x3's scoring champ, finished with eight in the losing effort. (OL)
