ALLAN THE MAN

Naturalized center Marcus Douthit showed exactly why he’s such an important member of the SMART-Gilas national team as he dominated on the floor to help the Philippines defeat Lebanon, 78-68, in their Group A clash in the 4th FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo, Japan.

Douthit posted 25 points, 21 rebounds and one crucial block on longtime Lebanon star Fadi El-Khatib with under a minute to play as SMART-Gilas notched its first win of the tournament.

Gilas trailed Lebanon after a very tight first half that saw neither team lead by more than five points. Behind El-Khatib, who had 15 points and six rebounds in the first two periods, and their own naturalized player Garnett Thompson, who had 13 and seven, the Lebanese held a slim three-point edge, 41-38, at the halftime break.

Philippines, represented in FIBA Asia Cup 2012 by Smart Gilas, suffered defeat Friday, September 14, from the hands of a tall but inexperienced team from China.

The Filipino squad wasn’t able to hold on to an eight-point lead they built off a strong second-half, missed 10 of 24 free throws and seven straight three-point shots going to the final minutes of the game.

SCORES PER QUARTER: 18-15, 40-33, 54-56, 71-68

The SMART-Gilas Pilipinas fell just short against a taller China squad, 71-68, in their opening match in the 4th FIBA Asia Cup Friday in Tokyo, Japan.

China, playing with a young team with an average age of just 20, grabbed a lead early after hounding the Philippines to bad three-point shooting and taking advantage of foul trouble on SMART-Gilas center Marcus Douthit.

But SMART-Gilas cut loose after the break, turning a 40-33 halftime deficit into a 56-54 advantage in the third quarter.

Here's Smart-Gilas Pilipinas LIVE Game Schedules:

Superstar guard Mark Caguioa has welcomed LA Tenorio to Ginebra San Miguel with open arms, but he doesn’t see it as a sign that bosom buddy Jayjay Helterbrand is on his way out.

“LA is a real competitor, he has leadership quality and can set direction inside the court,” said Caguioa, adding that it is an opportunity for Helterbrand to show what he’s still got.

“I see LA’s inclusion as a big challenge for him (Helterbrand). I’m sure everyone will be felt challenged when someone is about to take your spot.”

The Azkals - Philippine national men’s football team’s heated match against Laos Monday night turned out to be not an official international friendly match after all, which means that the Azkals’ 2-1 loss would have no effect on their world rankings.

In an email to InterAKTV, FIFA confirmed that it withdrew consideration for the game after learning that referees who officiated the game were not recognized by the world governing body.

“Indeed, not all four referees were from FIFA which is a must for an official A-match,” FIFA wrote in an email Tuesday night.

Jessica Sanchez brought the house down on the second night of the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina on Wednesday (Thursday morning, Manila time).

Backed by a choir, the “American Idol” runner-up wowed delegates with a soulful rendition of “You’re All I Need To Get By”, the classic duet by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell.

“I might not be old enough to vote, but I’m so honored and excited to perform at @BarackObama’s big party in Charlotte next week!#DNC2012!” the 17-year-old Filipino-Mexican-American had tweeted over the weekend.