SEA Games basketball: Indonesia come from behind to beat Singapore 70-54
REPORTING FROM KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
They came into the game high on confidence. And for most part of the game, they stayed on top.
But 12 missed free throws and an inability to execute plays properly down the stretch cost the Singapore national basketball dearly, leading them to a 54-70 defeat by Indonesia and dropping the side to a 2-1 record.
A win would have seen them secure a spot in the semi-finals and also avoid powerhouse Philippines in the knockout stage.
The match was also a repeat of the semi-finals in the 2015 SEA Games, where Indonesia also came from behind to win 87-74, ending Singapore’s hopes of making the final on home soil.
“Our free-throw percentage was really bad. I think what kept us in the game was our defensive stops. We gave our heart out there but towards the end, we couldn’t make the shots,” captain Wong Wei Long said of the missed opportunities.
Only three players scored in double figures for Singapore, with Russel Low leading the team with 13 points and four boards. Leon Kwek and Larry Liew both added 10 points, but the team shot just 32 per cent overall.
Indonesia, on the other hand, were led by Enguio Ebrahim Lopez’s 18 points and the team shot 44 per cent from the field.
In what was initially a very tight game, Singapore had led by six points in the first half. Their tenacious play on both the defensive and offensive ends had Indonesia in foul trouble, with the latter committing a total of 27 fouls in the whole game.
Yet, they kept missing their free-throws, and Indonesia were able to make big shots time and again.
The turning point came midway in the third quarter. Having held a 44-40 lead with a little over three minutes left, they saw it cut to just two by Enguio.
He then made one of two free throws at the line a few possessions later, before a big three-point shot by Hardianus Lakudu gave Indonesia the lead for good.
Indonesia then began the fourth quarter on an 8-1 run, establishing a 10-point lead. When they threatened to come back after pulling to within five points, two free throws from Diftha Pratama and a dagger three from veteran Mario Wuysang with four minutes left in the game meant that there was to be no way back for Singapore.
Still, Singapore’s coach Frank Arsego felt that the game has given his side the opportunity to identify the flaws in their game and improve on them.
“We learnt more about ourselves today after losing,” Arsego said. “It was a pretty good effort from the boys (against a top team in South-east Asia)… we just fell a little short.”
Arsego also felt that the missed chances at the free-throw line “opened the door” for Indonesia, but this was not the only thing that separated both teams.
“When they (Indonesia) went to the line, they made theirs. It didn’t win them the game, but it was enough for them to keep the pressure on,” he said.
“We also got a bit individual in the end, we didn’t share the basketball around enough. They worked us out and we’ve just got to keep going again then. I think they can take solace from a really good performance.”
Follow Yahoo News Singapore’s SEA Games coverage here
