THE country will rally behind the Gilas Pilipinas in two high-stakes games against Asia’s top-caliber teams Iran and Jordan in the fourth window of the Fiba Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Gilas plays Jordan on Friday, Aug. 28 at the Mall of Asia Arena and takes on Iran two days later in its bid to secure a World Cup slot.
Both Jordan and Iran enter the window holding commanding 5-1 records, making these back-to-back home games must-win encounters for the Filipino squad.
The frontcourt tandem of Kai Sotto and June Mar Fajardo will be put to the ultimate test against the raw size and interior muscle of both West Asian giants.
Meanwhile, naturalized star Justin Brownlee and reliable all-around player Dwight Ramos are expected to carry the primary scoring load to keep pace with the giant teams.
As part of the preparation, Gilas played tune-up games.
Gilas defeated Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, 81-76, in a friendly game on Thursday at the San Miguel Sports Facility.
“We didn’t play well, but the game gave us a good indication of where we are and how far we have to go to get ready,” Cone said in a report by PBA’s official website.
The tuneup also featured decorated bigman Kai Sotto, who had not played in game situations with the national team since his last appearance with Gilas against Hong Kong last Nov. 24, 2024 in the Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers. / RSC
