(PBA image)
Still reeling from a stunning upset by Chinese Taipei, Gilas Pilipinas is now bracing for an even tougher challenge: a do-or-die clash against world no. 22 New Zealand in the 31st FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
The stakes are sky-high as the Filipinos take the court at 11:00 p.m. Thursday (Manila time), facing a Tall Blacks squad that made a thunderous entrance into the tournament by dismantling Iraq, 100-78.
Gilas, on the other hand, was dealt a shocking blow in its tournament opener, falling to Chinese Taipei, 95-87, in a game that exposed the team’s vulnerabilities. But head coach Tim Cone isn’t about to let one loss derail their campaign.
“This may be a big roadblock for us, but it’s something we have to try to overcome,” said Cone. “If we have to come through the loser’s bracket, then we’ll do that. We can feel bad about this one as much as we want, cry about it even — but we’ve got New Zealand coming up, and we’ve got to be ready.”
A win over New Zealand would breathe life back into Gilas’ bid for a direct quarterfinal spot. A loss, however, would place even more pressure on their final group stage game against Iraq — a must-win to stay alive in the playoff race.
Gilas does have history on its side — at least partly. The Philippines stunned the Tall Blacks with a 93-89 win at the Mall of Asia Arena during the Asia Cup qualifiers last November. But New Zealand got their revenge six months later, cruising to an 87-70 victory on home soil at Spark Arena in Auckland.
New Zealand enters the game without veteran guard Corey Webster, but their core remains intact. Returnees like Taylor Britt, Tohi Smith-Milner, team captain Jordan Ngatai, and Max Darling continue to lead the charge.
Despite their dominant win over Iraq, Ngatai believes there’s still work to be done. “The boys set a pretty high standard from the last Asia Cup,” he said. “Hopefully, we can do better than that.”
New Zealand finished with a bronze medal in the 2022 edition of the tournament in Jakarta. Gilas, meanwhile, is hoping to recover in time to keep its campaign from unraveling early — and it all starts with overcoming a massive hurdle in the Tall Blacks.