DESERT STORM: Brownlee vows to go hard vs Middle East teams

There’s no letting up for naturalized player Justin Brownlee when Gilas Pilipinas takes on top Middle Eastern teams in Doha as part of its preparations for the third window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers later this month.

Brownlee is looking forward to keeping sharp for the tough qualifier matches against Chinese Taipei and New Zealand, vowing to go all-out in the friendlies in Gilas’ Qatar training camp despite the earlier plans of head coach Tim Cone of pulling in the reins on him and other key players.

“I’m looking forward to it. Definitely, I’m not gonna take a break or take it lightly. We have two tough opponents coming up with the national team. I want to be sharp and ready for them,” the 36-year-old resident Barangay Ginebra import said.

Chris Newsome will fly directly to Doha after playing for Meralco in the East Asia Super League (EASL) in Taiwan while Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao are coming in from Korea.

Brownlee and the rest of Gilas head for the Qatari capital on Thursday after wrapping up a short two-day training at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna on Wednesday.

Gilas is already assured of a seat in the FIBA Asia Cup main draw in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from 5 to 17 August after sweeping the first two windows for a 4-0 win-loss record in Pool B.

Cone earlier bared to practice load management on Brownlee, AJ Edu and June Mar Fajardo as well as the possibility of sitting out entirely newcomer Troy Rosario, who is nursing a knee injury he sustained during Ginebra’s grueling Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner’s Cup best-of-three series win over Meralco.

In fact, Brownlee himself played through a painful foot blister in the deciding Game 3 last Sunday.

The multi-titled mentor even gave Brownlee some time off during the Laguna camp.

Cone will limit Brownlee’s minutes in Doha and may even sit him out for one game.

“It’s gonna be tough. He’s going to be playing those games in between. That will be a way to keep him sharp but we have to make sure not to overuse him, so we’re planning for load management for Justin,” Cone said.

The Doha friendlies will pit Gilas against Qatar at 1:30 a.m. on 15 February then clashes with Lebanon at 11 p.m. on the same day before facing Egypt at 1:30 a.m. on 17 February — all Philippine time.

Brownlee, a three-time PBA Best Import winner, however, is looking to make the most of his playing time in Doha.

He particularly wants to work on his shooting, which he felt has been a little suspect during his PBA campaign. For him, it’s like hitting two birds with one stone as he also sets his mind on the coming best-of-seven semifinals against top seed NorthPort on 26 February — just days after wrapping up the FIBA Asia Cup third window road games.

“I want to be sharp and of course, (I’m) thinking of the playoffs, try to get better because I have not been shooting the ball (well) in the three-point (line) this whole conference,” he said.

“I’m just gonna keep trying to work on myself, tune it up, and use every moment to stay sharp and even get better any way I can.”

Gilas braces for a strenuous schedule taking on Chinese Taipei on 20 February and a much-anticipated rematch with the Tall Blacks in New Zealand three days after.