Philippines' star Andray Blatche overcame a badly twisted ankle to log an 18-point, 10-rebound double-double, carrying his team past Japan 73-66 in the Asia basketball championships second round in Changsha, China, on Sunday.
Japan looked like it might pull off an unlikely victory when the U.S-born Blatche was forced to the bench for an extended period in the third quarter, but 15 turnovers and a lack of offensive cohesion cost Japan the chance to take a major scalp and a big step toward securing a quarterfinal slot.
Blatche was well supported by Ranidel De Ocampo's 13 points and Jayson William's 12.