Gilas faces tough battle vs Tall Blacks

Gilas Pilipinas is in for a tough grind against a reinforced New Zealand squad when it visits Auckland for its first road game in the third window of the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier.

It will be a steep climb for the Filipinos when they meet the Tall Blacks on 3 July in a Group A rematch five months in the making.

Eight holdovers from the New Zealand crew that dealt Gilas a 69-66 defeat in its home turf at the Mall of Asia Arena last February banner the Judd Flavell-mentored Kiwis in an all-important match to shatter the two teams’ logjam in second place.

New Zealand and Gilas carry identical 2-2 win-loss slates behind unbeaten Australia (4-0).

Six-foot-9 Sam Mennenga, who gave Gilas mentor Tim Cone a headache with his double-double of 10 points and 14 rebounds in their last meeting, is back to lead the home team.

Also making their return for the Tall Blacks are Taylor Britt, Carlin Davison, Taine Murray, Jordan Ngatai, Tohi Smith-Milner, Reuben Te Rangi and Sam Timmins.

Flavell is also packing a surprise for Gilas at the Spark Arena with the key additions of Mojave King, Sam Waardenberg and veteran guards Shea Ili and Tai Webster.

“Shea and Tai are two guys who have great experience on the international scene. It’s great to have them available,” Flavell said in an interview on the team’s official website.

“This will be the first time suiting up for Tai in a few years now, so it’s great to welcome him back into the mix. The way that he’s been playing, firstly getting his body healthy which has been the first priority for him, but we’re excited to have him back in camp.”

Ili, a two-time New Zealand National Basketball League Defensive Player of the Year, is in his first tour of duty for the Tall Blacks since May 2025.

Webster, on the other hand, is suiting up after his last appearance in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China where he averaged 13.4 points and 4.8 assists per game.

Waardenburg according to Flavell is a young center that has lots of potential but was hampered by injuries. Now back in top for, Waardenburg is expected to make a huge impact in anchoring New Zealand’s muscle inside the painted area.

New Zealand is on a four-game winning streak over Gilas since suffering an 89-93 loss in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifier back on 21 November 2024.

The Kiwis will have the crowd on their side and the favorable cold climate.

“The atmosphere at Spark is going to be electric. Knowing the Filipino fans, we know it’s going to be loud, it’s going to be a party atmosphere. It’s not a new experience for us, but it’s always a great experience,” Flavell said.