For Strong Group-Philippines, the memory of the 33rd Dubai International Basketball Championship had a bitter end. 

The title game was tied at 74 with a little more than five seconds left in the game and a win was attainable in overtime. But, a game-winner from Ismail Abdelmoneim broke the hearts of Strong Group and the Filipinos in attendance. 

It was a whimpering end to what was looking like a banger of a campaign for Strong Group, who apart from a star-studded set of imports had the best amateur player in UAAP champion Kevin Quiambao, seasoned veteran Jordan Heading, and the best player in the MPBL in Justine Baltazar. A first runner-up finish in an international tournament is something to be nonetheless proud of, more so when you remember the fact that Strong Group only had a few weeks to truly prepare. 

But the standards of Strong Group are nothing short of gold. 

So for the 34th edition of the Dubai International Basketball Championship, Strong Group once again left nothing to chance. DeMarcus Cousins was clearly this group’s focal point, but former NBA player Malachi Richardson, former Gilas Pilipinas big man Andray Blatche, and former San Miguel import Chris McCullough give Strong Group a loaded frontcourt. Jason Brickman, Dave Ildefonso, Rhenz Abando, Chris Koon, and Gilas big man Ange Kouame are also beefing up the lineup, with the CSB Blazer core of Allen Liwag, Justine Sanchez, and Tony Ynot rounding out this year’s cast. 

The rust was evident against the UAE National Team, but it was a character-building win as Strong Group learned early on that closing games well will need to be a top priority for them. We got to see McCullough and Cousins carry the heavy load, but it was clear this was not going to be a cakewalk. 

Against Al Nasr Club, it was a chance for Strong Group to showcase their depth and it was Williams, Ildefonso, and Brickman who showcased their abilities. While Cousins and McCullough are expected to carry much of the workload, the victory allowed the local players to get more confidence in executing their roles, which will become all the more critical during the knockout rounds. 

Individually, the one constant has been McCullough, who has averaged 29.5 points and 7.5 rebounds through two games. He’s been able to score over smaller defenders, while his speed has allowed him to get by bigger and slower opponents. Meanwhile, Cousins is slowly getting into form, but the four-time NBA All-Star will always produce. 

Compared to last year, this group is a more seasoned bunch, with the likes of McCullough, Richardson, Brickman, Abando, Ildefonso, Williams, Kouame, and even Cousins having been familiar with the international game, which is more physical and requires more effort than talent to clinch wins.  

All things considered, it will take a team effort for Strong Group-Philippines to finish the job. Offense hasn’t been much of a problem from them as they are averaging 99 points. Strong Group limited their opponents to 89 points per game and slowly but surely imposed their will on their opponents. 

Advancing to the knockout rounds is obviously expected, but the games between then and now should allow them to sharpen their focus because, as last year has taught them, it ain’t over until the buzzer sounds and there are no more possessions to fight for.