Warmup matches
Gilas Pilipinas is set for the first of two exhibition matches against New Zealand clubs before the third window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers when it faces the Manawatu Jets on Sunday.
The friendly will not only give the national team a chance to build chemistry with the new faces added to coach Tim Cone’s roster, but also allow Gilas to get a feel for playing in New Zealand’s winter conditions.
4 days in Brisbane
After Manawatu, Gilas will take on the Franklin Bulls on Tuesday before setting its sights on New Zealand on Friday in Auckland to open the third window.
The Philippines will then face Australia on July 6 in Perth to wrap up not only the window but also the first round of qualification for next year’s World Cup in Doha.
Cone and the rest of the team arrived in New Zealand after spending the past four days training in Brisbane, Australia, where they continued the buildup that began last week in Manila. During their stay, Gilas trained at the facility of National Basketball League club Brisbane Bullets.
“Brisbane Bullets [helped] us out in terms of lending their facilities to us [so we could] take full advantage of it and try to acclimate to the weather,” Cone said before the team left the country.
Gilas is aiming to close out the first round on a bright note after posting an even 2-2 record through the first two windows.
The Philippines swept Jericho Cruz-led Guam in the opening window before falling to New Zealand and Australia in the second window, with both games played at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Notable absences
For the upcoming window, Gilas will be without Quentin Milora-Brown, Scottie Thompson, CJ Perez and Calvin Oftana, prompting Cone to make adjustments to the roster.
Troy Rosario and Justine Baltazar were called up, while Mike Phillips is set to make his Fiba debut after being classified as a local player.
Also returning to the roster are Justin Brownlee, Dwight Ramos, June Mar Fajardo, AJ Edu, Kevin Quiambao, Chris Newsome, Juan Gomez de Liaño and Carl Tamayo.
Gilas arrived in Wellington on Saturday amid inclement weather conditions, prompting Sunday’s exhibition to be moved to the evening from its original afternoon tipoff.
One of the Jets’ prominent players is Corey Webster, who suited up for New Zealand against Gilas during the Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers window at the Mall of Asia Arena in November 2024.
Webster, however, will not play in Sunday’s exhibition, nor will he suit up for the Tall Blacks in the third window.
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