The Indian men’s basketball team won their second game 89-65 against Thailand on Day 2 of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship today.
This was their second Group D match after they lost to Bahrain 80-82 in overtime yesterday.
Thailand were clearly the smaller team in this contest. But that didn’t stop them from stamping their authority in the game. What they lacked in size, they made up for in speed and were lightning-quick in latching on to loose balls and catching the Indian players off guard with many steals.
India had a strong start in the first quarter and were clearly not demoralized after yesterday’s overtime loss to Bahrain.
The first few minutes was a low scoring affair but the game picked up halfway through the first quarter. Vishesh Bhriguvanshi led the scoring with nine points by the end of the quarter which saw India lead 27-13 at the end of a 10-0 run. The Indians were shooting much better from the free throw line as well.
Thailand started the second quarter with some decent fast breaks and knowing that they couldn’t penetrate the lane, resorted to outside shots and three-pointers. They were nailing shots from beyond the arc as the Indian defense broke down with Thailand’s quick passing. But there were no problems on the offensive end as they maintained a 10 point lead for most of the second quarter.
Just when it looked like Thailand had a plan in place to get back into the game, Indian coach Scott Flemming introduced the 7’1” centre Satnam Singh into the game much to the delight of the crowd. His height was a deciding factor as the Thai players were no match for his size and agility.
India ended the half with a 16 point lead as it ended 46-30. Bhriguvanshi almost had a double-double in the first half with 14 points and eight rebounds.
Narender Kumar Grewal continued his superb form from yesterday with some very confident moves from the baseline. With Thailand playing zone defense, India were content to pass the ball around to look for an opening. With a commanding lead, this was a good strategy as it made Thailand work much harder to get the ball back.
And although there were some clumsy turnovers and missed shots from under the board, they managed to consistently maintain a 20-point lead over Thailand for the rest of the quarter, despite some flashes of brilliance from the Thai players.
With the score being 45-67 at the end of the third quarter, the final quarter seemed like a formality as Thailand never looked like coming back into the game.
Their offense never got going and even when it looked like they had a glimmer of hope, coach Flemming took a time-out to restore order. India’s defense tightened up and the Thais struggled to score at a consistent rate. Although there was some end-to-end action in the final minutes, India sealed the game 89-65.
Grewal was easily the player of the game as he finished with 24 points. He was ably supported by Bhriguvanshi (20 points, 8 rebounds). Joginder Singh, too, proved an asset for the team by chipping in with 13 points in the game. Only Danai Kongkum managed to get into double figures for Thailand with 10 points.
With Kazakhstan beating Bahrain 79-76 in overtime, this win puts India in second place in Group D. India play their final group match against Kazakhstan tomorrow.
Source: http://www.sportskeeda.com/2013/08/02/2013-fiba-asia-championship-india-beats-thailand-89-65/