FOSHAN (FIBA U16 Asia Championship) - Malaysia are looking for payback against the Philippines on Day 1 of the FIBA U16 Asia Championship, but do they have the tools to spring an upset?

Malaysia were a strong team in the SEABA U16 Championship 2017 in Manila, going undefeated in their first three games before meeting the Philippines on Day 5. The Malaysians tried their best to stick close to the Filipinos, but in the end, the home team's size and depth proved to be too much. Can Malaysia make the necessary adjustments to put up a better fight this time around, or are they in for another blowout loss?

Key Matchups: The guys who will have their hands full here are Malaysia's main frontliners Lee Jing Hung, Tan Ee Wan and Tan Chee Wey as they will probably have to take turns trying to slow down Philippine skyscraper Kai Sotto, who had a great outing the last time he played Malaysia, putting up 15 points, 12 rebounds and 4 blocks. Batang Gilas, meanwhile, cannot be overly complacent. The pair of John Tang and Teoh Yi Kang gave them fits in their last matchup, and the onus will be on Forthsky Padrigao, Terrence Fortea, Mac Guadaña and RC Calimag to defend Malaysia's aces.

Key Stats: Not surprisingly, the last time these two teams met, the Filipinos ruled the battle of the boards, 57-33. It wasn't just Sotto doing damage, though. Other guys were heavily contributing for the Philippines, and when the second half wave surged, Malaysia just couldn't keep up. Needless to say, the Malaysians need to do a much better job keeping the Filipinos away from the glass. On the other end, Batang Gilas need to keep their turnovers in check if they want a trouble-free ride to a win. They recorded 19 turnovers against Malaysia in their SEABA encounter, and that's just way too many for a team hoping to battle for the title.

FIBA