Gilas Pilipinas Men enter the third window of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers in must-win mode.
Just 16 days after their epic seven-game series victory over TNT in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, head coach Tim Cone has prepared his squad to approach Friday’s clash with the same urgency as a winner-take-all showdown when they face the New Zealand Tall Blacks at Spark Arena in Auckland at 3:00 PM (Manila time).
Both Gilas Pilipinas and New Zealand hold identical 2-2 records in Group A, making the matchup crucial in the race for qualification.
“Every game we play with Gilas is a Game 7 championship. It’s the same feel, the same magnitude that goes on,” said Cone.
“So we’ve got to treat every game like it’s a championship game, and that means we’ve got to prepare the best we can prepare.”
According to Casino Plus Sportsbook, the Tall Blacks enter the game as heavy 11-point favorites, with the over/under set at 168.0.
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To prepare for the qualifying window, Gilas played two tune-up games in New Zealand, defeating NZNBL teams Manawatu, 92-61, and Franklin, 94-66.
Cone opted to rest Justin Brownlee in both tune-up matches as the 38-year-old reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup Best Import continues to recover from the recently-concluded conference.
“We know that they’re a physical team, so we got to match up their physicality and understand how to play through that,” said Brownlee.
“We have to be aggressive. No matter what they do as far as guarding us, we just have to be aggressive.”
With Brownlee sidelined in the tune-up games, Carl Tamayo stepped up offensively. The forward, who has seen his role fluctuate during the previous two qualifying windows, averaged 18.0 points across the two victories.
Also set to make his Gilas debut is Mike Phillips. Before sitting out the game against the Bulls, the San Juan standout posted eight points and nine rebounds in the win over the Jets.
The rest of the Gilas lineup includes Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, RJ Abarrientos, Juan Gomez de Liano, Troy Rosario, Chris Newsome, Justine Baltazar, and June Mar Fajardo.
New Zealand, meanwhile, welcomes back Taylor Britt, Carlin Davidson, Sam Mennenga, Taine Murray, Jordan Ngatai, Keanu Rasmussen, Tohi Smith-Milner, and Reuben Te Rangi from its previous qualifying window.
Also returning for the Tall Blacks are Tai Webster, Shea Ili, Sam Timmins, and Sam Waardenburg.
Although Gilas scored a historic 93-89 victory over New Zealand at home during the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers on Nov. 21, 2024, the Filipinos have since dropped three straight meetings against the Tall Blacks.
