Game today:

(Blue Eagle Gym)

7:30 p.m. — Gilas Pilipinas vs Guam

There’s no time to relax for Gilas Pilipinas.

The Filipino cagers return home to host Guam, seeking a follow-up to their dominating road win to complete a tie sweep in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers opening window today at the Blue Eagle Gym inside the Ateneo de Manila University campus.

Tipoff time is set at 7:30 p.m.

Gilas unleashed the firepower of its deep arsenal and its defensive prowess in the second half after a slow start, blowing out Guam, 87-46, in their first meeting last Friday at the University of Guam Calvo Fieldhouse in Yigo Village.

But the job is far from over for the world No. 37 Gilas.

“Yeah, you know, that’s the big thing about home-and-way. You’ve got to follow it up,” Gilas head coach Tim Cone said.

With naturalized player Justin Brownlee and Dwight Ramos leading the way, Gilas just crushed Guam when it found its rhythm late in the second quarter.

The second half turned into a scoring and defensive clinic for Gilas, firing away with 47 points while limiting Guam to just seven and 14 markers in the third and fourth quarters, respectively.

Gilas even built a 44-point gap in the final 33 seconds of the lopsided match.

All 12 players fielded by Cone submitted points.

Each one also grabbed rebound that put the Philippines in the record books in the Asian qualifier as the team with the most boards registered in a game with 61. Gilas reset the previous record of 59 shared by Iran and Lebanon.

Cone, however, warns of complacency.

“And, you know, if you look at the score, we’re going to look at ourselves and have that opportunity to relax and not really come with it the second time around. They’re (Guam) going to come incredibly motivated. But hopefully, you know, we have the home crowd that will get us pumped up,” Cone said.

“We love our basketball back home. Everybody knows, and we’re going to have a big sellout whenever Gilas plays. We don’t play at home very often. So, when we do, everybody’s excited to watch,” he added.

“So, we’re hoping that will be the thing that can generate our excitement to come back here and follow up this win.”

Roughed up by 41 points in front of its home crowd, the 81st-ranked Guam hopes to return the favor.

But head coach EJ Calvo knows that beating Gilas is easier said than done.

He underscores the importance of matching Gilas’ physicality and, most importantly, do a better job at the boards.

“What’s it going to take? We have to rebound better,” his straightforward answer after his crew allowed Gilas to pull down 25 more rebounds than Guam’s total.

Veteran center June Mar Fajardo and newcomer Quentin Millora-Brown had 10 rebounds each while AJ Edu and Ramos had eight and six boards, respectively.

Calvo admits that his team was outhustled and outworked by Gilas.

“We’re not physical enough. And that’s something that we don’t like as a team. We never like to admit when we go into a game and we actually feel like we got outrebounded,” he said.

“We got pushed around, or we failed to engage and hit persons on shots, which led to their high percentage on putbacks.”

Gilas outscored Guam in the paint, 52-20, and had 15 second-chance points.

No one from Guam hit double digits in rebounding, with Jonathan Galloway pulling down just eight to lead the way.

“If that wasn’t the case, it would have been a different story. So, we know that’s going to be an area of focus,” Calvo said.

Calvo will bank on the trio of San Miguel Beer star Jericho Cruz, who dropped 17 points last game, Tai Wesley and Galloway to lead Guam in pulling off a huge upset and a sweet payback.