Dwight Howard, Strong Group fly to Dubai

STRONG Group Athletics (SGA) routed PBA squad Converge, 97M V4, in the club team’s lone tuneMup match before leaving for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Wednesday night (january 17) as the Dwight HowardMled squad competes in the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championships.

Filipino coach Charles Tiu said the match gave them an opportuM nity to see how the “super team” due to its starMstudded imports could work together with some of the top collegiate stars for the weeklong tournament in the UAE.

“We played some good defense. But we need to be more fluid offensively and be able to knock down shots and be more familiar with one another,” Tiu told The Manila Times, whose team is scheduled to fly out of Manila at 11:30 p.m. on Wednesday night.

Tiu believes veteran University of the Philippines (UP) playmaker jD Cagulangan will play a big role for SGA as his game has matured over the past few years.

“He will be big for us,” Tiu said of Cagulangan, who is best remembered for nailing the gameM winning triple in overtime to powM er UP past Ateneo in their Game 3 Finals collision en route to leading the Fighting Maroons to the UAAP Season 84 basketball crown.

“He’s our backup point guard right now. He defends well and sets up guys well.”

Strong Group is bunched at Group B, along with Lebanese squads Beirut Club and Homenetmen, Libya’s Al Ahli Tripoli, Syria’s Al Wehda and host country United Arab Emirates.

SGA begins its title bid in Dubai against host country UAE on Friday, january 19, at 11:15 p.m. (3:15 A.M. Saturday Manila time).

While Howard and fellow imM ports Andre Roberson and McKenM zie Moore are in razor-sharp form, former Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Andray Blatche is still workM ing his way back to game shape.

Nonetheless, Tiu is “not too worried.”

“He’s (Blatche) getting better every day, but he’s a gamer, so I’m not too worried,” he stressed.