Sticking with the same 12-man roster, Gilas Pilipinas is preparing to wrap up the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers with an all-important clash against New Zealand at Spark Arena in Auckland on Sunday at 10:00 AM (Manila time).
Despite suffering their first loss in the qualifiers at the hands of Chinese Taipei, 91-84, head coach Tim Cone is banking on continuity as the Philippines aims to secure the bragging rights of being the top seed in Group B.
Leading the charge for Gilas is naturalized star Justin Brownlee, who erupted for 39 points in the loss but saw his efforts go for naught.
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Completing the squad are June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, and Jamie Malonzo.
Meanwhile, sitting out this game once again are Troy Rosario and Mason Amos.
New Zealand, fresh off a dominant 92-51 victory over Hong Kong, is seeking revenge after their narrow 93-89 defeat to the Philippines last November.
The Tall Blacks will be led by the quartet of Taylor Britt, Walter Brown, Max Darling, and Kaia Isaac.
Also part of the host team’s lineup are Corey Webster, Sam Waardenburg, Jordan Ngatai, Tohi Smith-Milner, Reuben Te Rangi, and Tai Wynyard.
Rounding out their squad are youngsters Jackson Ball and Tama Isaac.
For Cone and his squad, this game represents more than just redemption from their previous loss — it’s about ending the Qualifiers on a high note before shifting their focus to the FIBA Asia Cup in Saudi Arabia this August.
“Only thing we can do at this point is move on. I will be better. We will be better,” Cone said.
