BEIRUT (FIBA Asia Cup 2017) - The Philippines have had a history of futility against Korea, but they are hoping to reverse that today in their FIBA Asia Cup 2017 Quarter-Finals match.

The Philippines may be unbeaten right now, but they are going to face a foe that they have defeated just once in their last four head-to-head matches in the FIBA Asia Cup's history. If we count the most recent Asian Games and William Jones Cup results, too, then Gilas Pilipinas are coming into this game toting a 1-win, 9-loss record against their East Asia foes. Korea's Hur Jae has coached against the Philippines three times in FIBA Asia Cup play, winning all three. That is certainly not lost on Philippines head coach Chot Reyes, who is aiming for the Filipinos' fourth straight entry to the FIBA Asia Cup Semi-Finals.

Key Matchup: It will be Korea's "Flash" versus Gilas's "Blur" in this game. Kim SunHyung and Jayson Castro are so essential for their respective teams, and their production will be supremely crucial in determining who survives this knockout affair. SunHyung has put up better numbers so far after four games, but he cannot afford to overlook Castro so easily, especially since the latter has made the All-Star Five in the last two editions of the FIBA Asia Cup. If Castro fails to neutralize SunHyung, the Philippines will have their backs against the wall, but if Castro himself catches fire, then Gilas Pilipinas should have the inside track.

Key Stats: What Korea have to do to pull the rug from under the Philippines here is keep on moving the basketball. Korea are tied with Iran as the teams with the best assists numbers, and that is something the Filipinos will have to check in this game. Korea are so good at swinging the ball from every corner of the court to find the open man, who, more often than not, shoots and finds the bottom of the net. For Gilas to be in a great position to win, they must really tighten up on defense, force Korea into one-one-one plays and make sure to get those extra possessions.

Another curious aspect of this match will be three-point shooting. The Philippines make the highest number of triples per game here, sinking 12.3 three-pointers on average, while Korea are not far behind with 9 triples per contest. If this game turns out to be a complete shootout, the Philippines may have a slight edge, but they'll take every advantage they can get, especially against a team that have been their nemesis for so long.

FIBA