Game Today
(Chenzhou Sports Center, China)
9:45 p.m. – BC Astana vs Chooks To Go
Chooks To Go Pilipinas could miss the services of import Rod Ebondo when it takes on Kazakhstani club BC Astana tonight for the start of the FIBA Asia Champions Cup in Chenzhou, China.
The Congolese star of Centro Escolar University has yet to receive his visa at press time, which could leave the Chooks To Go squad without one of its key players in the 9:45 p.m. faceoff with last season’s winner of the Kazakhstan Basketball Championship.
That will put 7-foot-1 Isaiah Austin, the other import of the Chot Reyes-coached team, to carry a heavy load against the taller BC Astana side.
The top naturalization candidate of Gilas Pilipinas also endured visa issues before securing one Wednesday afternoon in Hong Kong. He rejoined his teammates yesterday when the delegation arrived in the city located in Hunan province.
Chooks To Go believes it has a good chance of securing a quarterfinals berth after being bracketed in Group A that also includes Palestine’s Sareyyet Ramallah, Thailand’s Mono Vampire and Iran’s Petrochimi.
The top four teams after the group stage advance to the last eight of the annual club tournament.