Asia Pacific Hoops

10/09/2021

🇵🇭➡️🇯🇵 Dwight Ramos becomes the latest Filipino player to join the B.LEAGUE（Japan Professional Basketball League）Bリーグ under the Asian player quota.

Signing a deal with the 富山グラウジーズ／TOYAMA GROUSES, the 23-year-old guard will look to help his new team in their hunt for a deep postseason run.

Ramos had been a pivotal part of the Philippine national team at the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, averaging 13.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, and two steals per game.

The Grouses finished with a 39-21 record last season, reaching the quarterfinals before bowing to the Ryukyu Golden Kings.

Their opening game for the 2021-22 season is scheduled for October 2nd.

08/09/2021

🇨🇳➡️🇦🇺 South East Melbourne Phoenix officially announced the signing of Chinese star Zhou Qi to a two-year deal.

A one-time NBA center with the Houston Rockets, Zhou spent most of his career in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA), winning three Defensive Player of the Year awards and a championship title with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers.

With his sights set on an NBA return, the 7-foot-1 Chinese National Team mainstay decided to sit out the upcoming CBA season following contract disputes with his mother club.

And it so happens that the Australian league provides the best pathway for an NBA comeback.

The 25-year-old forward joins the Phoenix via the Special Restricted Player rule, and will be looking to help the club in their bid to reach the Grand Final in the upcoming season.

05/09/2021

🇵🇭➡️🇯🇵 新潟アルビレックスBB（NIIGATA Albirex BB） officially announced the signing of Kobe Paras for the 2021-22 B.LEAGUE（Japan Professional Basketball League）Bリーグ season.

Known best as a 6-foot-6 rim-rocking forward, Paras averaged 16 points, five rebounds, and 2.5 blocks per outing with the University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons in the collegiate ranks in 2019.

He previously suited up for Creighton University in the US NCAA and was regarded as a three-star recruit after graduating from Middlebrooks Academy.

The 23-year-old forward becomes the seventh Filipino player to sign a professional contract in the Japanese league.

Meanwhile, Niigata will look to Paras to help them make leaps from last season, where they finished near the bottom of the standings with a 16-38 campaign.

28/08/2021

🇹🇼 Chinese Taipei 中華民國籃球協會 - CTBA successfully secured the final remaining spot in next year's FIBA Asia Cup after winning over Guam Basketball by aggregate.

Losing their first match by five points, the Taiwanese squad needed to win today by six points or more to qualify and did just that by escaping from Guam with a 85-77 victory.

Benson Lin Ting-Chien led all scorers with 26 points, while Kevin Hu Long-Mao and 陳盈駿 Ray Chen Ying-Chun added a combined for 30 points for the winners in what became another closely-contested game.

Chinese Taipei joins 15 other teams who will participate in the FIBA Asia Cup. Originally set to tip off this year, the tournament has been rescheduled to July 2022.

26/08/2021

🇬🇺 Guam Basketball moved closer to the final remaining spot in next year's FIBA Asia Cup after edging out Chinese Taipei in a tight contest.

Despite trailing early, the hosts finally pulled ahead in the final minutes to secure the 77-72 win in the first of back-to-back games against their Taiwanese counterparts.

Tai Wesley and Takumi Simon led the scoring for Guam with 23 and 18, while Jonathan Galloway added a double-double of 12 points and 16 boards in the win.

Even though they are behind 0-1, Chinese Taipei is still very much in the running. The only will be able to knock off Guam and qualify is if they manage to win by six points or more in their second meeting.

The final FIBA qualifiers match will be played on the 28th at 1400H (GMT+10), still at the University of Guam Calvo Field House in the University of Guam - UOG campus.

26/08/2021

🇮🇩➡️🇯🇵 Utsunomiya Brex 宇都宮ブレックス officially announced the signing of Brandon Jawato for the upcoming B.LEAGUE（Japan Professional Basketball League）Bリーグ season.

The 28-year-old Indonesian-American swingman averaged 16.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 1.4 steals per game in the IBL Indonesia last year for the national team selection.

He also suited up for the Indonesian national team once during the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, tallying 22 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists in a win over Thailand.

Jawato joins fellow University of Hawaii Athletics alum Isaac Fotu to form a formidable frontcourt tandem for last season's runners up Brex, who will undoubtedly expect steady contributions from the pair after losing the team's go-to scorer Ryan Rossiter in the offseason.

25/08/2021

🇹🇼 Chinese Taipei 中華民國籃球協會 - CTBA is set to battle Guam Basketball for the final remaining berth in next year's FIBA Asia Cup.

The Taiwanese squad travels to Guam to play back-to-back games that will determine who qualifies for the Asian championship next year in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Game schedules:

August 26, 1900H (GMT +10)
Guam v Chinese Taipei

August 28, 1900H (GMT +10)
Chinese Taipei v Guam

Both matches will be held at the University of Guam Calvo Field House inside the University of Guam - UOG campus in Mangilao.

25/08/2021

🇬🇺 Guam Basketball is set to battle Chinese Taipei for the final remaining berth in next year's FIBA Asia Cup.

The hosts will play back-to-back games against the Taiwanese squad to determine who qualifies for the Asian championship next year in Jakarta, Indonesia.

Game schedules:

August 26, 1900H (GMT +10)
Guam v Chinese Taipei

August 28, 1900H (GMT +10)
Chinese Taipei v Guam

Both matches will be held at the University of Guam Calvo Field House inside the University of Guam - UOG campus in Mangilao.

24/08/2021

🇵🇭➡️🇯🇵 The 名古屋ダイヤモンドドルフィンズ Nagoya Diamond Dolphins officially announce the signing of Bobby Ray Parks Jr. for the upcoming B.LEAGUE（Japan Professional Basketball League）Bリーグ season.

The 28-year-old swingman joins several other Filipinos who have inked with clubs under the Asian player quota in the Japan's professional league.

Parks last suited up for TNT Tropang GIGA, helping the team reach the Finals in the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup with averages of 22.4 points and 7.8 rebounds while shooting 46% from three-point territory.

Meanwhile, the Dolphins barely missed the playoffs last season with a 32-24 record and will be looking for an instant boost from the addition of Parks.

23/08/2021

🇵🇸 Palestinian forward Sani Sakakini announces his retirement from international basketball following their recent stint at the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

The 33-year-old veteran rose to fame after leading the national team to the bronze medal at the West Asian Basketball Championship and their first FIBA Asia Cup appearance in 2015.

Apart from his legendary status as the best Palestinian player of all time, the athletic 6-foot-9 big man also has a decorated professional career with notable stops in Jordan, Lebanon, China, Taiwan, and Venezuela.

There is not a doubt that Sakakini inspired an entire generation of hoopers in the region with both his play and the legacy he built for Palestine.

23/08/2021

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia successfully clinched a spot in next year's FIBA Asia Cup following a blowout over Palestine.

The hosts erased all doubts of missing out on qualification by running away with the 96-72 victory, marking their impending return to the Asian championships for the first time in nearly a decade.

Facing off against a Palestine side needing to win by a large margin, Saudi played the reverse card and had already built a 30-point lead going into half time, more than enough to knock out their foes.

With the result, both Saudi Arabia (2-0) and India (1-1) qualify to the FIBA Asia Cup, with one remaining spot to be contested by Guam and Chinese Taipei.

22/08/2021

🇮🇳 India remains in the hunt for a ticket to the FIBA Asia Cup after completing an incredible comeback against Palestine.

Falling behind by double-digits for most of the match, India sparked a massive rally in the final quarter to steal the 79-77 win to improve their record to 1-1.

Indian national team vets Amritpal Singh and Amjyot Singh combined for 53 points and 22 boards to offset equally explosive outings from Palestine's Kyndall D***s and Sani Sakakini.

Palestine (0-1) and hosts Saudi Arabia (1-0) will meet tonight for the final match that determines which two teams will qualify to next year's FIBA Asia Cup.

21/08/2021

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia is one step closer to qualifying for the FIBA Asia Cup 2021 after a big win over India.

The hosts raced to an early double-digit lead behind the efforts of center Mohammed Alsuwailem, before three other scorers emerged to help secure the 80-61 victory.

With the win, Saudi improved to 1-0 in the second round and will clinch a spot at the Asia Cup if Palestine manages to defeat India tonight.

20/08/2021

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia will face India and Palestine for one of two remaining berths to the FIBA Asia Cup 2021.

Each of the three teams will look to punch one of the final tickets to the continental championships by finishing top two in the final round of the qualifiers.

Game schedules:

August 20, 1815H (GMT +3)
India v Saudi Arabia

August 21, 1815H (GMT +3)
Palestine v India

August 22, 1815H (GMT +3)
Saudi Arabia v Palestine

All second round matches for the group will be held at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

20/08/2021

🇮🇳 India will face Palestine and Saudi Arabia for one of two remaining berths to the FIBA Asia Cup 2021.

Each of the three teams will look to punch one of the final tickets to the continental championships by finishing top two in the final round of the qualifiers.

Game schedules:

August 20, 1815H (GMT +3)
India v Saudi Arabia

August 21, 1815H (GMT +3)
Palestine v India

August 22, 1815H (GMT +3)
Saudi Arabia v Palestine

All second round matches for the group will be held at the King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

16/08/2021

🇦🇺🥈 Basketball Australia settles for their third silver medal finish at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup in Debrecen, Hungary.

The Gems gave up a tough 70-52 decider in the final match to USA Basketball, the only team to have beaten them in the tournament.

With their second consecutive second-place finish, Australia have now finished at the podium in seven of their last 13 appearances at the FIBA U19 championships.

Meanwhile, Asian teams Japan (9th), South Korea (13th) and Chinese Taipei (14th) have all bowed out during the round of 16.

09/08/2021

ICYMI: 🇯🇵 The Japanese Women's team ended a historic run at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics with a silver medal finish, their first ever podium appearance in the Summer Games.

After huge wins in the knockout round over Belgium and France, Japan's impressive campaign finally came to an end at the gold medal match as they bowed to heavy favorites USA Basketball ,90-75.

Veteran center Maki Takada continued to lead the team as she top-scored with 17 points despite playing against much bigger opponents, but floor Rui Machida had a relatively quiet game as her double-digit assists streak ended with only six dimes to go with eight markers.

Meanwhile, Nako Motohashi was the only other Japanese player to score in double figures, stepping up with 16 points off the bench.

Despite settling on a silver medal finish, Japan has shown their resiliency and mettle throughout the campaign, proving to the world they are now a legitimate force to be reckoned with in Women's basketball.

08/08/2021

🇦🇺🥉 ICYMI: Australia makes history by winning their first ever medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics .

Team captain Patty Mills refused to come up short once more in his fourth Olympic appearance, exploding for a monster 42-point, nine-assist masterpiece to lead the Boomers to a 107-93 bronze medal win over the Luka Doncic-led Slovenia.

Joe Ingles also had 16 points, nine boards and four assists for Australia, while their other NBA guys Jock Landale, Dante Exum and Matisse Thybulle all tallied double-digits in scoring.

Meanwhile, NBA superstar Doncic had a relatively quiet scoring night with 16 points to go with eight rebounds and seven dimes in the loss.

Australia previously finished fourth during the 1988, 1996, 2000, and 2016 Olympic Games.

06/08/2021

🇯🇴 Zaid Abbas announces his retirement from international basketball after winning the championship trophy in the King Abdullah II Cup.

The 37-year-old veteran forward became a household name with the Jordanian national team, helping them make two appearances at the FIBA World Cup and five FIBA Asia Cup tournaments.

Leading Jordan to two podium finishes at the Asian Championships in 2009 and 2011 only solidified his status as one of the best forwards in the region.

Apart from his legendary career donning the black, white and red, the athletic 6-foot-9 forward is also a well-regarded import in the China Basketball Association (CBA), where he played professionally for five seasons.

He also served as a bridge from the golden generation with fellow legend Sam Daghles and brother Islam, to the current crop of talents led by Ahmad Al Dwairi and Freddy Ibrahim.

There is without a doubt that Abbas has inspired an entire generation of hoopers with both his play and the legacy he built with Jordan.

06/08/2021

🇯🇵 The Japanese Women's team advances to the gold medal match of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics after a huge semis win over France.

The host team fell behind early in the game but was able to regroup with huge offensive outbursts in the second and third period to secure the 87-71 blowout win.

Rui Machida continued to showcase her playmaking prowess with a record-high 18 assists to go with nine markers, while Himawari Akaho and Yuki Miyazawa combined for 31 points in the victory.

Japan is set to face unbeaten gold medal favorites Team USA on August 8 at 1130H (GMT+9).

05/08/2021

🇦🇺 The Australian Boomers will not advance to the gold medal match following a deflating semis loss to USA Basketball at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Australia will not advance to the gold medal match following a deflating loss to Team USA at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

04/08/2021

🇮🇳➡️🇺🇲 Indian prospect Pricepal Singh has joined the Sacramento Kings in the California Classic Summer League.

The 20-year-old big man last saw action in the NBA G League with the Ignite select team, tallying a total of nine points and four boards in limited minutes.

Although he is not likely to be legitimately considered for an NBA spot at this point, remaining in the league's circuit will help further polish the promising young seven-footer, and perhaps signing another G League contract at the end of the Summer League may be the best step forward.

02/08/2021

ICYMI: 🇯🇵 A heartbroken Japanese team ended their 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign following a loss to CABB - Confederación Argentina de Básquetbol.

The players were inconsolable after the buzzer sounded with the scoreboard reading 97-77 in favor of their South American counterparts, the reality of playing their final match in this edition of Summer Games sinking in.

One game after exploding for 37 points against Slovenia, Rui Hachimura went cold offensively as Akatsuki Five bowed out of contention.

In his stead, Yudai Baba stepped up with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists, while team captain Yuta Watanabe remained his normal self, adding 17 points and nine boards in another efficient outing.

Argentinian legend Luis Scola tallied a game-high 23 points to go 10 boards, while Facundo Campazzo led three other players to tally 14 points or more as they advance to the quarterfinals following the blowout win.

01/08/2021

🇯🇵 The Japanese players were inconsolable after losing to Argentina, ending their 2020 Tokyo Olympics campaign without a win.

The host team found themselves without a win in three tries, ending their Olympics campaign in a blowout to Argentina.

31/07/2021

ICYMI: 🇮🇷 Iran fails to salvage a victory, losing their third-straight match to conclude their journey at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics .

Team Melli had once again fought hard but had no choice but to surrender a tough decision to a superior team in the end, losing a tough 79-62 game to France.

36-year-old veteran big man Hamed Haddadi starred for Iran with 18 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks despite going up against three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. Meanwhile, Behnam Yakhchali and Arsalan Kazemi finished the game at 11 markers apiece.

It is widely believed that this would be the final Olympic campaign for Iranian legends Haddadi and team captain Samad Nikkhah Bahrami, but it remains to be seen whether or not they are ready to end their impressive national team careers and hang up the red, white and green.

31/07/2021

🇦🇺 The Australian Boomers remain unbeaten at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Leading by just four points at the half, Basketball Australia finally began pulling away late in the third period to eventually secure the 89-76 victory.

Boomers star Patty Mills led all scorers with 24 points to go with six assists, as Jock Landale played another big game as he scored 18 points while shooting 70 percent from the field.

Nick Kay also stepped up in the absence of Aron Baynes, adding 16 markers in the win.

Australia now awaits their knockout quarterfinal opponents after successfully completing the group phase with a perfect 3-0 record.