A TOUGH challenge awaits the Kai Sotto-less Gilas Pilipinas as it gets ready for two away games in Window 3 of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
None of the Philippines’ two coming matches against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand is scheduled at any home court in the Philippines.
And so adjustments are expected to be made when they clash against their Taiwanese rivals on Feb. 20 at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
Playing before a home crowd, Gilas Pilipinas trounced Chinese Taipei, 106-53, last year to sweep the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers, where 7’3” Filipino center Sotto had 18 points and 3 blocks.
Sotto will be out for a year rehabbing from an ACL injury.
The bigger preparations will be done when the Philippine side takes on the Tall Blacks on February 23 at the Spark Arena in Auckland.
To do this, they are bringing with them Ralph Cu and RJ Abarrientos to help them with the scrimmages.
“Paaakyatin namin sina Cu at si Abarrientos sa practice, para makapag-pahinga iyung iba,” said Alfrancis Chua, team manager and program director of Gilas, which flies to Doha, Qatar on February 13 for a series of friendlies before facing Chinese Taipei and New Zealand.
The Tall Blacks had a new head coach Judd Flavell when Gilas spoiled his debut the last time the two teams met at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay, with New Zealand suffering a shock 89-93 loss.
In that game, Sotto flirted with a triple-double as he tallied 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the field, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists, together with a steal, and a pair of blocks.
This ended the Tall Black’s four-game winning streak against the Filipino dribblers since the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The Tall Blacks have new faces in its 12-man lineup for Window 3, namely Tai Wynyard and debutants Jackson Ball and Tama Isaac, who are expected to fit in nicely with old-timers Corey Webster, Sam Waardenburg, Max Darling, Taylor Britt, Walter Brown, Kaia Isaac, Jordan Ngatai, Tohi Smith-Milner and Reuben Te Rangi.
“We have put together a great mix of experience. Some guys that are well established Tall Blacks and have played a lot of games for the black singlet. We’re mixing that in with a lot of youth, and continuing on the theme of growing and fast-tracking our younger stars we have two new players to add to that mix in Tama Isaac and Jackson Ball,” said Flavell in a statement on social media back in New Zealand.
The Tall Blacks will try to impose their will inside, with Gilas playing without the injured Sotto.
Gilas is now seeking to fortify the chemistry of its roster in their coming games, with Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu having recovered from injuries.
Cone has added Troy Rosario, who’s called up for national team duties for the first time since 2022, in answer to Sotto’s absence.