National team head coach Tim Cone hopes Gilas Pilipinas will get payback against familiar foes Chinese Taipei and New Zealand when they cross paths in the FIBA Asia Cup preliminary round in August in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Reeling from back-to-back losses to the Taiwanese and the Tall Blacks in the third and last window of the tourney’s qualifier, the decorated tactician expects Gilas to be better prepared this time.
Gilas is joined Chinese Taipei, New Zealand and Iraq in Group D of the tournament slated from 5 to 17 August.
“Again, we’ve lost back-to-back games to two of those guys already. So, obviously, we have to be better,” Cone said referring to the blowout road losses Gilas suffered last February.
Gilas swept its first four games in the initial two windows of the qualifiers including a 106-53 crushing of the Taiwanese and a 93-89 upset of the Tall Blacks in its home turf.
However, the Filipinos sans injured center Kai Sotto were beaten by an overhauled Chinese Taipei side, 84-91, and the Tall Blacks, 70-87, in their second meetings.
“I think it’s reasonable to think that now we know Taiwan and now that we know New Zealand, we played them a couple of times. I think it’s reasonable for us to think that we can play them better this time around,” Cone said.
“That’s gonna be our goal, playing better than we did last time, that’s for sure. We’ll be ready.”
Gilas opens its campaign on 6 August against Chinese Taipei before facing New Zealand two days later. The Nationals round up their prelims assignment against Iraq on 10 August.
The top three teams in each of the groups will advance into the next round with, the top squad earning an outright quarterfinals seat. The second and third-ranked teams will battle in the knockout playoffs for a place in the Last 8.
“We have to finish in the Top 2 or at least the highest quotient in the third place to advance. But the goal is to sweep that and it’s gonna be hard because it’s against New Zealand,” Cone said.
Gilas is looking at one tune-up game in their training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna and another friendly in Jeddah before the main draw.