Gilas set to face China in 2017 Fiba Asia Cup group stage

Gilas Pilipinas guard Jayson Castro. Photo from Fiba.com

Gilas Pilipinas will begin its journey in the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup with a collision course with defending champion China, Qatar, and Iraq.

The Philippines has been slotted in Group B of the continental championships in the draw ceremony held on Tuesday.

The group will see a rematch between the 2015 finalists, where China topped Gilas Pilipinas to win its 16th Asian championship.

Powerhouse Iran banner Group A, where it will clash against Jordan, India, and Syria.

This will also be the first time Oceania squads Australia and New Zealand will compete in the Asian bracket.

New Zealand, joins Korea, Kazakhstan, and host country Lebanon in Group C, while Australia will battle Japan, Chinese Taipei, and Hong Kong are slotted in Group D.

The four teams in each group will play in the round-robin format, with the top squads earning an outright slot in the quarterfinals.

The second and third-best squads will face off in a cross-over playoffs, with the victors completing the eight-team playoffs. The rest of the tournament will be played in a single elimination format to decide the champion.

The 2017 Fiba Asia Cup will be in Beirut, Lebanon from August 8 to 20.