FIBA Asia - Semi-Final time: It's the spirit that carries us

MANILA (FIBA Asia Championship/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - While much fanfare greeted the victors after the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Asia Championship, Philippines coach Chot Reyes put things in perspective as he weighed up the task ahead to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"We haven't won anything yet," he said amongst the euphoria.

"All we've done is get ourselves into a good position."

The team many feel is in the best position is Iran, who have allowed more than 60 points just once in the tournament, showing the aggressive dominance that made them clear pre-tournament favourites.

"We played with the best team in this tournament," Jordan coach Vangelis Aleksandris said bluntly after his team's Quarter-Final defeat.

"Iran is a very good team with a very good coach."

In the first Semi-Final, Iran's defensive starch will be tested against the competition's best offensive unit, with the upstarts from Chinese Taipei producing disciplined but exciting team basketball at both ends.

"Through this tournament the team has played very hard, very smart and very together, that is the most important thing," said Taipei coach Hsu Chin-Tse.

This isn't news for the Iranians, always respectful of their opponents after their shock exit two years ago.

"We played them at the William Jones Cup, they are a very good team," said Iran coach Memi Becirovic.

"They have very good shooters but now they have (Quincy) Davis who is very good close to the basket, so they are very dangerous."

No team is more dangerous than hosts the Philippines, who feed off their boisterous crowd to produce match-turning runs that test their opposition to the core.

But according to Kazakhstan coach Matteo Boniciolli they have a secret that gets overlooked amongst the scoring binges.

"The Philippines showed great basketball tonight, made first by defense, then by offense," he said.

Korea have prided themselves on defence all tournament, keeping six of their seven opponents below 60 points.

The Philippines will present a much tougher challenge in the second Semi-Final, but coach Yoo Jae-Hak is confident in his team's fundamentals.

"The defensive unit is working fine, which I think will be the key in the Semi-Finals," he said.

But with 16,000 rabid Filipino fans desperate for a trip to both the Championship Game and Spain 2014, star Korean centre Lee Seung Jun knows this game will be as much about emotion.

"Obviously they are going to bring a lot of energy because they are at home," he said.

"I'm not sure how long the Philippines have been out of the world championships but for us it has been 16 years, so we're excited for the game."

Philippines coach Reyes summed it up with his usual literary touch.

"When you play Gilas Pilipinas you are not playing against a team, you are playing against a country," he said.

"It's the spirit that carries us."

For full and in-depth coverage of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, go to the official website http://manila2013.fibaasia.net.

FIBA