Thaindian News

New Delhi, July 14 (IANS) India posted a comfortable 120-26 win over Bangladesh at the Thyagaraj Stadium here Thursday to reach the final of the qualifying round for the Asian Basketball Championship.

Teenager Amreetpal Singh and Vishesh Bhrugvanshi were the most prolific players for India, scoring 18 points each in a one-sided affair.

Fifteen-year-old Satnam Singh has hogged the limelight in the recent times but it was Amreetpal who stood out in this game. He spent close to 11 minutes on the court and was able to the find the target more often than not. Nine of the 18-year-old’s overall points came through field goals. The team’s focus was on defence as part of new coach Kenny Natt’s playing style.

Natt, a former NBA coach, stood animatedly along the court on numerous occasions and that was brought to notice best when he asked for time-out in the fourth quarter.

He later revealed that he wanted his players to make the best use of the foul shots.

“I was satisfied with their performance. We are improving with every game. It has only been a month since I have joined so with each passing day the players will understand my style better,” said Natt.

When asked about his occasional screaming in an easy match, Natt said: “I wanted one guy to take the foul and he did not understand what I said. There was a bit of communication gap but these things happen in a situation like this.”