The energetic atmosphere that usually defines its home games was reduced to a deafening silence as Gilas Pilipinas suffered a pair of heartbreaking setbacks in the second window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers last week at the Mall of Asia Arena.

The 69-66 loss to New Zealand and the 93-66 defeat to Australia were not just mere marks in the loss column. They brought the Filipinos to the verge of sitting out the FIBA World Cup and served as a sorry reminder that we still have a long way to go before we can put up a fight against the best teams in the world.

With the loss, the Filipinos will fly to Auckland and Perth for the third window in July, carrying a 2-2 win-loss record that leaves them no choice but to play with extreme caution. Although they have technically secured a spot in the second round, they still must win at least once when they collide with the Tall Blacks and the Boomers in their own backyards.

Should they lose both games, they will be pushed into a tougher situation, where they have to outperform dangerous teams like Iran, Jordan and Syria in Group E to secure the third World Cup spot. If they fail again, they will wrap up their participation with a record that is still superior to the fourth-best team in Group F, which is composed of Japan, Korea, China, Lebanon, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

Tough, isn’t it?

Knowing the situation they have gotten into, Gilas coach Tim Cone was brutally frank in his assessment: there’s no pride in “almost winning.” There’s no such thing as a moral victory — it’s either you win or you lose. And in this case, the Filipinos lost, and they have to get up and plot a game plan that will lead to a miraculous upset against two world-class teams right on their home courts.

But the game plan must not be limited to Xs and Os. They have to put their heads together to plot a strategy that will surely lead to victory.

First, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) must work hard to secure the commitment of players who have what it takes to help Gilas Pilipinas stand a chance against the giants from the Pacific.

Kai Sotto, the country’s brightest hope in the international arena, should make himself available for national duty. Yes, he is chasing his dream of becoming the first homegrown Filipino to play in the National Basketball Association, but he should also keep in mind that he has a responsibility to represent his country in a major — and very crucial — tournament.

If Sotto ever suits up, Gilas will have a fighting chance. Aside from his 7-foot-3 frame and feathery touch from the perimeter, Sotto has vast experience in Australian basketball after playing for the Adelaide 36ers in the National Basketball League for two years.

Aside from Sotto, other overseas-based standouts must also make themselves available, like Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo and Quentin Millora-Brown, as well as Mike Phillips, who has already been classified as a local player by the International Basketball Association.

Second, the Philippine Basketball Association should release the Gilas players like June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Scottie Thompson, Juan Gomez de Liaño and Calvin Oftana early to give them more time to prepare. Let’s not forget that in the second window, Gilas trained for only 10 days, which led to a disastrous performance highlighted by Cone’s failure to come up with an answer when the Kiwis clamped down on Justin Brownlee on defense.

Indeed, the road to the World Cup has grown significantly bumpier, and time is no longer a luxury that Cone and Gilas Pilipinas have at this point.

The “renewed fire” promised by the team will only burn if the leaders of the sport provide the necessary fuel. The third window in July will be a reckoning, and it is time for our basketball leaders to match the players’ grit with administrative excellence and cooperation.

The July reckoning is fast approaching and for Philippine basketball, the real test of resolve begins today.