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Manila Bulletin devider Sports devider Basketball devider Gilas eyes 3-0 slate against New Zealand in Asian Qualifiers

Gilas eyes 3-0 slate against New Zealand in Asian Qualifiers

Published Feb 25, 2026 03:18 pm

At A Glance

  • Gilas Pilipinas eyes nothing but a sweet victory in front of an expected sold-out venue when it hosts New Zealand in the second window of the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Gilas Pilipinas eyes nothing but a sweet victory in front of an expected sold-out venue when it hosts New Zealand in the second window of the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Mall of Asia Arena on Thursday, Feb. 26.
Tip-off of the match is at 7:30 p.m. with head coach Tim Cone admitting that while the team has set winning as a barometer of success, the Nationals are still up for a daunting task against the powerhouses of the region.
“I'm looking for a win and that is all. We're not going to sell ourselves short. We are really looking for a win,” said Cone.
“We’ve had some really exciting games. We had some downturns. It's been really an up and down type of thing but that’s really just it. It's never smooth but we feel we are at a level that we should be able to compete and that we should give ourselves a chance to win so we are looking to win,” he added.
The last time the two squads met at the MOA Arena was when Gilas finally scored its first win over New Zealand, 93-89, to go 3-0 in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.
Like that instance, the Nationals are hoping to once again take down the Tall Blacks and improve to 3-0 in the Asian Qualifiers, although this time without Kai Sotto, who put up 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists.
Good thing, Justin Brownlee, who fired 26 points in that game, is expected to spearhead the attack for Gilas while AJ Edu, June Mar Fajardo and newcomer Quentin Millora-Brown will be tasked to man the paint in the absence of the 7-foot-3 big man.
But even without Sotto and New Zealand bringing in old tormentors Jordan Ngatai, Tohi Smith-Milner, and Taylor Britt, Cone is optimistic that Gilas can hold its ground.
“We feel that we are competitive with them. They are no doubt one of the top teams in our region and always have been but we feel we can compete with them,” said Cone.
Cone, however, stressed Gilas must put its best foot forward if it wishes to pull the rug from under the Tall Blacks.
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