GET ready for Australia vs the Philippines, part two... sort of.

The last time these two countries faced off in a basketball game, it ended in one of the wildest brawls you’ll ever see in sports.
Hopefully on Friday evening, thought, the outcome is much different. That’s because the Australian Emus will face Batang Gilas in the semi-final of the FIBA under-18 Asian Championship, with both teams fighting for a spot in the gold medal game.

Both teams are undefeated heading into the game — which tips off at 8:45pm (AEST) — but the Australian Emus are the favourites to progress to the final.

This is the first time these two countries have played each other since the infamous July 2 melee, which saw 13 players ejected.
Entering their game against the Philippines, Australia has yet to be challenged. The Emus are 4-0 in the tournament, with an average winning margin of 56.3 points a game.

Because of the nature of the results, it’s been a balanced scoring effort from the Australians, with Sean MacDonald leading the way with 16 points per game, while Sam Froling is averaging 15.3 points and 10.3 rebounds a game.

The Philippines’ under-18 team is also undefeated, but their contests have been slightly closer. After big wins over Lebanon and the UAE, the Philippines picked up closer victories over China and Bahrain, setting up a semi-final clash with Australia.

Ariel Edu has led the way for the Philippines with 15.4 points and 12.8 rebounds per game.

The other semi-final matchup feature China and New Zealand.

Australia vs the Philippines tips off at 8:45pm (AEST), and will be live-streamed on FIBA’s YouTube channel.