JV Casio, the hero of the game against Iraq Thursday, added 22 points with nine assists, while Japeth Aguilar added 12 before tiring. Mac Baracael came off the bench to hit three key jumpers down the stretch.
Douthit, who had 12 rebounds, showed respect but no fear for NBA veteran Samaki Walker, who finished with 25 points and eight rebounds.
Iran clobbered Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ittihad, 102-65, earlier.The crossover semifinal match between the two teams is set at 6 p.m. Saturday, with the winner going up in the championship against the winner of the other knockout between Lebanon and the winner of the Jordan-Qatar quarterfinals.
Douthit battled Walker, a former Los Angeles Lakers starter, on even terms through most of the grueling game before inching ahead when the NBA veteran appeared to tire.
Walker paid tribute to the Nationals.
“Great team,” said Walker, a member of one of the Lakers’ championship teams. “We started strong but they kept pushing, and that’s what good teams do.”
The Nationals trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half after missing 21 of their 32 shots to fall behind, 41-34, at the intermission.
Then came one of the most stirring comebacks in Gilas’ profile, a rally that even bettered the one they produced against Iraq the day before.
With Douthit delivering one feathery clutch shot after another, many off pick-and-roll plays with point guard JV Casio, the Nationals clawed back to gain the lead, 56-55, on Japeth Aguilar’s 3-point play with 1:37 left in the third quarter.
It was an advantage they never surrendered.
Baracael came in for a bone-weary Aguilar and contributed six points on jumpers as the Syrians desperately doubled on Douthit and kept an eye on Dondon Hontiveros, who drained six triples against Duhok of Iraq.
“Syria is not a bad team to beat,” said Gilas coach Rajko Toroman. “And Marcus helped a lot by showing up in the second half.”
Back-to-back champion Mahram of Iran will be an entirely different affair, and Casio, who had 22 points with four 3-pointers and nine assists, knows.
“We just have to suck it up against Iran,” he said.
Al Riyadi-Lebanon advanced to the semifinals by trouncing Duhok-Iraq, 106-80.
Jean Abd El Nour topscored for Lebanon with 24 points while Fadi El Khatib finished with 21 points to move to the semifinals where it will face either ASU-Jordan or Al Rayyan-Qatar.
