Gilas Pilipinas expects a different Chinese-Taipei team compared to the one it destroyed by 53 points a year ago.

Putting their unbeaten record on the line, the Filipinos left for Taiwan on Tuesday for the first of their two road games in the third window of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Chinese-Taipei hosts Gilas on Thursday parading a new head coach and a new center who could give the visiting squad a run for their money.

Gilas head coach Tim Cone braces for a tough challenge against the Taiwanese handled by new tactician Italian Gianlucca Tucci in the rematch scheduled at 7 p.m.

“They changed their coach. He has changed the way they played,” Cone said in an interview with One Sports’ “Play by Play” before Gilas left for Doha for a five-day training camp.

The Nationals easily dominated Chinese-Taipei, 106-53, in the opening window back on 25 February last year at the Philsports Arena.

Gilas on its home turf, was in full control the whole match and never allowed the Taiwanese to score more than 14 points in each of the four quarters for the blowout.

Seven-foot-3 Kai Sotto complemented naturalized player Justin Brownlee’s 26-point, 13-rebound performance in that pummeling, scoring 18 points with 10 rebounds, five assists and three blocks.

But this time, Gilas won’t have the towering presence of Sotto after the center suffered a knee injury during his stint in the Japan B.League two months ago that needed surgery.

“Playing in Taiwan, they’re gonna be a tough load for us given we don’t have Kai (Sotto) to help dominate size-wise,” Cone said.

Although Gilas has 6-foot-11 AJ Edu back in the fold, Chinese-Taipei has beefed up its frontcourt by adding 7-foot naturalized player Brandon Gilbeck and with the return of scorer Mohammad Al Bachir Gadiaga.

“So, we’re gonna have to attack in different ways,” Cone added.

Aside from adjustments to match a new-look Chinese-Taipei, the decorated mentor and his Gilas crew also have to deal with problems that hounded the squad in the 2nd Doha Invitational Cup.

After running down Qatar in a come-from-behind 74-71 win early Saturday, Gilas absorbed a 54-75 beating at the hands of Lebanon before suffering a 55-86 shellacking from Egypt.

Gilas has to address taking care of the ball after averaging 18 turnovers per game against the Middle Eastern squads. The Nationals must also find their touch from the outside after shooting only 24 percent in the goodwill tournament.

After facing the Taiwanese, Gilas will travel to New Zealand for the last leg of the Qualifiers on the 23rd.

Gilas is through to 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 Group B.