1 week Ago By Delfin Dioquino
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rapplerAds.displayAd( "mobile-middle-1" );MANILA, Philippines – Tim Cone vowed Gilas Pilipinas will be “ready” for the FIBA Asia Cup after the team got bunched with familiar foes.The Philippines will once again battle New Zealand and Chinese Taipei as they make up Group D together with Iraq for the quadrennial showdown to be hosted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from August 5 to 17.
It is pretty much the same set of opponents for the Nationals, who were grouped with the Kiwis and the Taiwanese in the Asia Cup Qualifiers. “Can’t wait to get back with the Gilas guys and get back to work,” Cone wrote on X.The Filipinos eye redemption after they lost their last two games in the Asia Cup Qualifiers following a 4-0 start, falling prey to New Zealand and Chinese Taipei in a pair of road games in the third and final window.
Gilas needs as many wins as possible as the No. 1 team in the group will advance directly to the quarterfinals, with the No. 2 and No.
3 squads fighting for their tournament lives in the crossover playoffs for a last eight spot.In the previous Asia Cup in 2022, the Philippines finished third in its group then lost to Japan in the sudden death for the quarterfinals as it missed the top eight for the first time in 15 years. The road to the Asia Cup will not be easy as the Nationals still try to adjust to life without star big man Kai Sotto, who suffered a left knee injury in a Japan B.
League game in January.Also, naturalized ace Justin Brownlee is recovering after he dislocated his right thumb in the PBA finals in March and faces another doping issue. But before thinking about the Asia Cup, members of the national team have their sights set on the PBA Philippine Cup, with Cone looking to get Barangay Ginebra over the hump after runner-up finishes in the first two conferences.
“All-Filipino first, but looking forward to the Asia Cup in August. We’ll be ready,” said Cone. The Asia Cup cast also includes Qatar, Australia, Korea, and Lebanon in Group A; Guam, Japan, Syria, Iran in Group B; and China, Jordan, India, and Saudi Arabia in Group C.
– Rappler.com.
