Boomers keep winning on Philippines return

Elijah Pepper and Tanner Krebs combined for another 46 points and nine three-pointers as the Australian Boomers won 93-66 on return to the Philippines with four players from the team now returning for the NBL finals.

It was the first time for the Boomers to return to the Philippines since the infamous wild all-in brawl in 2018. It was a much friendlier atmosphere this time around, but still a boisterous home crowd was on hand to support their team at the Mall of Asia Arena.

And it was a tight contest throughout the first half with the Boomers only leading by a point at quarter-time and by five at half-time, but they pulled away with 55 points to 33 in the second half to stay undefeated in the Asian Qualifiers for the World Cup next year in Qatar.

The Boomers were coming off a hard earned 93-80 road win over Guam on Thursday. They gained Mitch Creek and Jack White to take on the Philippines, but were again without Perth Wildcats forward David Okwera who is sidelined with a foot injury.

Australia did score the first six points and it took the Philippines almost four minutes to score but the home team went on a 10-3 run from there to lead, and by the end of one the Boomers were clinging to the 14-13 lead.

It was a rough shooting first quarter with the teams combining to go 9/35 from the field. While both made two triples each, the Philippines took just five attempts and the Boomers 11.

Things opened up a bit more in the second period and Elijah Pepper had 12 points to his name by half-time to help the Boomers lead 38-33 on the back of 16 second chance points from the nine offensive rebounds.

The Boomers then found their groove with 30 points in the third quarter as the lead got out to double-figures, and in the fourth quarter it blew out to as much as 29 and settled at 27 in the end.

Australia finished with 18 offensive rebounds to nine for 29 second chance points to 13 along with forcing the Philippines into 12 turnovers from which they scored 14 points.

The Boomers got up 42 three-point attempts and made 15 of those with Pepper going 5/14 on his way to 28 points and seven rebounds with Tanner Krebs hitting 4/8 with 18 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Mitch Creek was into the Boomers line-up and had 13 points, six rebounds and four assists. Tom Wilson added 12 points, seven boards and four assists, Nick Kay eight points and eight rebounds, Jack White six points and two boards, and Isaac White five points, two rebounds and two assists.

Justin Brownlee top-scored for the Philippines with 20 points with eight rebounds and seven assists with Quentin Millora-Brown contributing 11 points and five boards, and Dwight Ramos nine points and three assists.

Earlier on Sunday, it was the New Zealand Tall Blacks also making it a double weekend in this FIBA window beating Guam 99-67 at the Guam Field House.

It was a Tall Blacks team with plenty of NBL talent with Breakers big man Jack Andrew continuing on his strong finish to the season at club level with 20 points and nine rebounds on 9/10 shooting.

Reuben Te Rangi showed all 391 games of his NBL experience with 15 points too while Adelaide 36ers guard Keanu Rasmussen had 14 points and two assists, Max Darling 11 points, three rebounds and three steals, and Taylor Britt narrowly missed a triple-double with nine points, nine assists and eight rebounds.

The NBL finals now get underway this Wednesday night with a Seeding Qualifier between the South East Melbourne Phoenix and Perth Wildcats before on Thursday it's Melbourne United hosting the Tasmania JackJumpers in a Play-In Qualifier.

FIBA WORLD CUP ASIA QUALIFIERS – FIRST ROUND GROUP A

AUSTRALIAN BOOMERS 93 (Pepper 28, Krebs 18, Creek 13)

PHILIPPINES 66 (Brownlee 20, Millora-Brown 11, Ramos 9)

BOX SCORE