Hontiveros leads PH comeback against New Zealand in Jones Cup 2015
Veteran marksman Dondon Hontiveros caught fire in overtime and Gilas Pilipinas completed a comeback to nip New Zealand, 92-88, in the Jones Cup 2015 Friday.
Hontiveros gave the Filipinos a taste of the lead to open OT, 81-78, then swished in two more triples to keep the Filipinos ahead.
New Zealand, which led by as many as 16 in the third quarter, tried to stay in the game from the stripe, but Gilas Pilipinas fended off all attempts to snatch the victory.
Jayson Castro towed the Filipinos, who missed the services of national team rookie Terrence Romeo, back into contention with his heroics in the fourth quarter.
The Mythical Five awardee in the 2013 Fiba Asia Championships thrice tied the game for Gilas Pilipinas in regulation, the last at 78 with under 20 seconds left.
Gilas Pilipinas bounced back from its loss to Iran Thursday and improved to 4-2.
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
