E-Gilas Pilipinas routs Indonesia in inaugurals
Rial Polog Jr. showed why he is one of the best “gamers” in the region as he powered the E-Gilas Pilipinas to two more wins against Indonesia in the inaugural FIBA Esports Open 2020 Saturday night.
Polog, who is eligible for the NBA2k Draft, fired 30 points as the Nationals edged Indonesia in Game 3 of the regional series 66-34.
Philippe “Izzo” Alcaraz and Custer “Aguila” Galas added 11 points apiece, while Aljon “Shintarou” Cruzin had seven points and 15 assists in the event produced by the brand new FIBA Esports Studio in Riga, Latvia.
Cruzin averaged 22.5 points in the team’s first two games for EGilas as the Nationals came through with a 56-29 win in Game 1, and 6430 triumph in Game 2 last Friday.
The victory gave the Philippines the regional title, but according to team manager Richard Brojan, under FIBA esports rules, the two teams still need to play the remaining game.
“We still need to play Indonesia under the format, but yes a win (in Game 3) gave our team the regional title,” said Brojan, whose team is also the reigning four-time NBA2K Asia Pacific titlist.
In Game 4, Polog had 28 points with four assists and five steals as the Nationals edged Indonesia 79-44 for a perfect 4-0 card. Cruzin contributed 17 points, seven boards, while Clark Banzon and Alcaraz added 15 and 11 points, respectively.
The national team, which also has Rocky “Rak” Braña and Al “Alt” Timajo, was to take on Indonesia in the fifth and final game late last night.
Aside from the Philippines and Indonesia, also competing in the event are Italy, Australia, Argentina, Austria, Brazil, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, Lithuania, New Zealand, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Switzerland and Ukraine.
Each team consists of seven players with five to play. Games will be played remotely on NBA 2k using the Pro-Am mode and allowing full customization of player avatars, uniforms and arena designs.
The games are livestreamed on FIBA’s Facebook, Twitch and YouTube channels with live commentary.
The first ever Esports Open, in collaboration with the NBA 2k, is part of the federation’s initiatives with the goal of enlarging the FIBA family, and comes at a time as actual competitions are still barred in various countries due to the coronavirus pandemic.