Recharged Nationals fly out to shoot for repeat wins on enemy grounds
Gilas Pilipinas was back on the road again on Tuesday, the squad looking surprisingly refreshed and full of zest despite a pair of setbacks suffered in Qatar and going for back-to-back flights for the third and final window of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.
“I’m excited—and I’m sure everybody else is, especially after losing in the past two games in Doha,” naturalized ace Justin Brownlee said. “I’m sure everybody’s excited to get back on the court and get a win.”
Already qualified for the flagship continental meet that will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in August, Team Philippines looks to keep its pristine record with a repeat against Chinese Taipei in a return match slated this Thursday at 7 p.m. at Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
“It’s definitely tough. Three, four countries in just a matter of days?,” said comebacking center AJ Edu. “[But] at the end of the day, it’s a blessing to travel and a blessing to be able to represent the country.”
The rematch against Chinese-Taipei will also afford a chance for the program to allow standouts—such as barely-utilized Mason Amos, program returnee Troy Rosario and now-fit Jamie Malonzo—to get into a groove right before taking on New Zealand in Auckland in a highly-anticipated grudge match on Sunday.
“As tough as it was, the biggest thing that I’ve got out of it—and despite the games not going our way—was the joy of being able to play again for the country,” Edu added. “And all glory to God for that.”
Edu will be playing his first official Gilas game since hurting his knee while fulfilling club duties in Japan. He last donned the Philippine tri-colors in the Fiba World Cup held in Manila back in 2023.
Most efficient
The 6-foot-10 defensive whiz will be put through the wringer with Kai Sotto out as a retooled Chinese squad is fielding its other naturalized ace, 7-foot Brandon Gilbeck.
A win by Gilas will improve its chances of tabbing a good seeing in the Jeddah meet where regional powerhouses like Japan and world No. 7 Australia await.
But more importantly, it will allow national coach Tim Cone to recalibrate the program’s roadmap with Sotto on the mend.
Gilas has been an overwhelming leader in efficiency throughout the Asia Cup qualifiers, its 134.3 rating beating out the likes of the Aussies (126.00), Lebanon (115.3) and old rival China (112). Unfortunately, much of that standing was built on the shoulders of Sotto, who was nothing short of prolific in the first two windows with a double-double average of 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds.
Cone said in a previous interview that Sotto is out for at least nine months, which virtually rules out the 7-foot-3 center not just for the Asia Cup, but also for other competitions this year.
“Like I always say about injuries, it’s almost cruel to say it, but this has always been the philosophy: you feel bad about injuries for 10 minutes, then you move on,” Cone had said. “Because there’s nothing you can do about it.”
