Still clueless on Korean riddle Arum eyes Nov. 12 and Brisbane for Pac-Horn 2

Taking into account Manny Pacquiao’s Senate schedule, Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum has penciled Nov. 12 as the date of the fighting Filipino lawmaker’s rematch with Australian banger Jeff Horn.

The likely venue: Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane.

A canopy that can provide protection to the ring and the first ten rows of ringside from the late-morning or early-afternoon sun or rain can be installed at the 55,000-capacity arena, said Arum.

Though no deal is in place, Arum said all signs point to that date and a return to Brisbane as Queensland State is determined to stage it again following the success of last July’s match that Horn won on a unanimous but controversial decision.

“I still have to talk with Manny,” said the 85-year-old Top Rank chief from his Las Vegas home yesterday.

The Senate will have a break from Oct. 14 to Nov. 12 and this will give Pacquiao the opportunity to focus in his training in the last four weeks leading up to the fight, a luxury the 38-year-old lefty didn’t have while getting ready for the 29-yearold Horn.

The reality of seeing title hopes in the FIBA Asia Cup slips away was already setting in on Gilas Pilipinas when the scoreboard of the Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex in Beirut, Lebanon suddenly put South Korea behind 73-0 with 3:55 left in the fourth quarter.

Filipino fans who watched the game in the Lebanese capital and millions back home resorted to using the scoreboard malfunction in good humor. Gilas thought it was no laughing matter, perhaps wishing that it had produced a favorable scoreline following a bitter evening of basketball.

The final score saw Gilas falling 118-86 in the quarterfinals that ended shortly past 1 a.m. Manila time yesterday. It was a bitter pill to swallow for the team that seemed favored to compete for the crown following its sweep of Group B, only to be eliminated by the Philippines’ most bitter foe.

South Korea produced a comprehensive victory behind a precise offensive movement and accurate shooting that mimicked sets made by the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs.

And that left Gilas playing clueless especially in the second half when the Koreans broke the game open and turned what many predicted to be a dogfight into a rout.

The stats didn’t lie as well. Korea dished out 34 assists and made 16 three-pointers.

Terrence Romeo’s 22 points may have delivered his best performance in a national team jersey. But that itself became a footnote as the great team play of the Koreans proved to be far superior.