Gilas Pilipinas takes on rock-solid New Zealand

Players to watch for Gilas Pilipinas and New Zealand Tall Blacks in their Fiba Asia Cup 2025 clash: Justin Brownlee and Corey Webster. –FIBA/INQUIRER photos

Gilas Pilipinas figures in an acid test in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers Thursday night a little banged up.

But national coach Tim Cone made the assurance that his charges will be putting up a resolute performance come game time against formidable New Zealand, a country that has had the Philippines’ number since anyone can remember.

“We’re a little dinged up, but the guys are digging in and ready to play,” Cone told the Inquirer on the eve of the 7:30 p.m. duel at Mall of Asia Arena where the world No. 34 Filipinos battle the 22nd-ranked Tall Blacks to break the 2-0 deadlock at the top between Group B’s two early leaders.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers

Cone revealed that the Nationals will miss young big man AJ Edu, no thanks to a knee problem, while Calvin Oftana and Chris Newsome are going to play despite respective leg issues.

“We never got AJ right, so he will not play. We couldn’t get clearance from the doctors,” Cone said. “Calvin has a calf problem, but [he] will try to play through it. It’s the same with Chris with his hamstring.”

Jamie Malonzo has long been ruled out for the second window, as he has yet to fully recover from a calf injury.

READ: How to watch Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers

Bannering the squad are naturalized ace Justin Brownlee, and returning cornerstones June Mar Fajardo and Scottie Thompson. Japeth Aguilar, CJ Perez, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, Mason Amos, and recently cleared Kai Sotto are set to reprise their roles for the squad that will try to end the Kiwi’s years-long mastery of the Philippines.

The Gilas Pilipinas Final 12 vs New Zealand. –MARLO CUETO

Bad endings

Gilas’ last four meetings with the Tall Blacks on the Fiba stage have ended in losses, with the Kiwis winning by an average of 24.25 points. The Kiwis’ biggest triumph came in the World Cup Asian Qualifiers two years ago in Auckland, where they crushed a cadets-laden squad led by Tamayo and Ramos.

Feeling good

The Nationals spent three-and-a-half days training behind the closed doors of Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, before beating a Meralco side that used two reinforcements in a friendly.

And what Cone saw throughout that stretch is giving him confidence ahead of the contest.

READ: Justin Brownlee ‘highly motivated’ for Gilas Pilipinas bid after PBA Finals loss

“We feel good about our prep. It’s never as much time to prep as we would like,” he said. “But the guys really put in the work in the time that we did have.”

A win on Thursday will not only give the Philippines inside track on a berth in the main tournament that will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in August next year, it will also grease the Nationals’ path heading into their return match against Hong Kong on Sunday.

But more than that, a victory will give Cone and the basketball leaders the validation they need that the long-haul cast, after a promising run in the Olympic Qualifiers in Latvia, is truly on the right path towards their ultimate goal of returning to the World Cup and, perhaps, the Summer Olympic Games.