Coach Charles Tiu hoping to get more from Strong Group's locals in next Dubai tilt games

Strong Group head coach Charles Tiu is hoping to get more help from his team's locals after the Philippine bets needed to grind it out until the last seconds to escape the UAE National Team, 91-87, on Friday in their 32nd Dubai International Basketball Championship opener.

Doing the damage for the Philippines were the reinforcements led by Shabazz Muhammad, who dropped 24 points on 50-percent shooting from the field to go along with seven rebounds and four assists.

Sedrick Barefield also provided a huge lift with 23 markers while Nick Young and Renaldo Balkman added 13 and 12, respectively.

But Tiu was clearly disappointed with the team's performance after watching a comfortable lead dwindle down to just three points inside the final minute.

And he's expecting the locals, like Will Gozum, BJ Andrade, Migs Oczon, Jerom Lastimosa, JD Cagulangan, Lebron Lopez, Justine Baltazar, and Kevin Quiambao, to step up moving forward.

"We didn’t play well. Didn’t take care of the things we talked about. Glad we escaped with a win but we have to be better," Tiu told GMA Integrated News in a message.

"Talked to the Pinoys about it, giving them a chance and they let our lead slip away in the last two minutes."

Gozum, the NCAA Season 98 MVP, and Andrade, who helped Ateneo claim the UAAP Season 85 title, were both part of Tiu's starting lineup against UAE but the two cagers combined for just nine points between them.

Lastimosa registered six points in 17 minutes of action while former and current La Salle basketball stars Baltazar and Quiambao both scored two apiece.

Oczon, Cagulangan, and Lopez all finished the game scoreless.

"We mentioned how we won’t be able to win without the support of our locals. Hopefully they can adjust," Tiu added.

Strong Group will next face Al Nasr of Libya on January 28 at 9 p.m. (1 a.m. in the Philippines) with the games to be aired exclusively via delayed telecast on GMA Network on Sunday mornings and on GTV on Saturday nights.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News