Game today:

(Spark Arena)

10 a.m. — Philippines vs New Zealand

A slumping Gilas Pilipinas squad guns for the top spot when it battles vengeful New Zealand in the third window of the FIBA Asia Qualifiers on Sunday at the Spark Arena in Auckland.

Game time is at 10 a.m. (Manila time) with the Filipinos looking to arrest their losing skid to come up with a strong finish heading into the FIBA Asia Cup that will be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August.

Since star center Kai Sotto went down with a season-ending knee injury in Japan last month, Gilas Pilipinas has been on a decline with sour performances in its past few games.

But the biggest blow was their shock 84-91 loss to Chinese Taipei last Thursday in Taiwan tha completely denied them a sweep and a chance to clinch the top spot of this tournament.

Naturalized player Justin Brownlee served as the lone bright spot with 39 points, but the rest of the squad had forgettable performances, prompting head coach Tim Cone to take full responsibility for the setback.

Cone admitted that they played relaxed knowing that it was a game they can afford to lose while the Taiwanese played their hearts out, determined to post their first ever victory against the Filipinos in more than a decade.

“Only thing we can do at this point is to move on,” Cone said, vowing to bounce back with a stronger performance in their next — and final — assignment against the dangerous Tall Blacks.

“I will be better. We will be better.”

True enough, bad blood is expected to boil as the Filipinos and the Kiwis are tied at 4-1 and will dispute the top spot in Group B heading into the FIBA Asia Cup.

Aside from that, the Tall Blacks also have to settle the score against Gilas Pilipinas after suffering an 89-93 setback in their previous meeting on 21 November at the jampacked Mall of Asia Arena.

What made the defeat truly heart-crushing was the fact that it was their first loss to the Filipinos in an International Basketball Federation-sanctioned tournament in eight years.

Now, the world No. 22 Kiwis have a chance to, once and for all, settle the score in their grudge match as they take advantage of the absence of the 7-foot-3 Sotto in the shaded lanes while their big guns in Corey Webster, Taylor Britt, Walter Brown, Max Darling, Kaia Isaac and Sam Waardenburg are expected to play with fire in their eyes together with new additions Jordan Ngatai, Tohi Smith-Milner, Reuben Te Rangi, Tai Wynyard as well as youngsters Jackson Ball and Tama Isaac.

“We’ve already qualified for the Asia Cup but we’re aiming to get the top seed so that we can place ourselves in the best chance for the gold medal match,” New Zealand coach Judd Flavell said following their 92-51 massacre of Hong Kong also last Thursday in Hong Kong.

“So that requires us to beat the Philippines here (in New Zealand). We had a close battle with them in Manila, and such a competitive game, and nothing between two teams, that this will exactly be the same. Both teams are looking at the same situation.”

Flavell added that although their grudge match is set in their territory, they still can’t take the huge Filipino crowd that is expected to fill up the arena for granted.

“The makeup of the crowd matters,” he said.

“I’m sure there’s going to be many Filipinos there and I’m sure that atmosphere will be crazy. It’s going to be amazing. And as a competitor, I think we’re all looking forward to it.”

If New Zealand is pumped up to get revenge, the Filipinos are trying their best to find a way to win to somehow regain their shattered morale.

Cone knows the battle will not be easy, especially since the Kiwis have already set the stage for what could be a powerful revenge right at the homecourt.

“We gotta finish this trip and try to finish strong,” who is obviously feeling the impact of Sotto’s absence in their last three international assignments.

“We’re going to play a tougher New Zealand team. Somehow, we’re gonna have to figure out a way to put this behind us and move forward. It’s gonna be difficult. It’s gonna test the character of the players. But that’s what playing on the world stage is all about. You’ll have your ups and downs.”