Gilas Pilipinas bucked travel problems and Justin Brownlee’s DNP-CD to clobber the Manawatu Jets, 90-61, on Sunday at the Fly Palmy Arena in Palmerston North. It was the first of the national team’s two scheduled tuneup games against New Zealand National Basketball League (NZNBL) squads, with the other against the Franklin Bulls.
Kevin Quiambao led a balanced scoring attack for the Filipinos with 13 points, followed by Carl Tamayo’s 12 and Troy Rosario’s 11. Rosario also scored seven early points that staked Gilas Pilipinas to a 25-12 lead, which they built on until the final buzzer. Juan Gomez de Liaño added 9 points, while Mike Phillips and Dwight Ramos had 8 apiece as the nationals showed no ill effects from a draining flight from Brisbane to Wellington.
According to assistant coach Sean Chambers, Gilas Pilipinas encountered a “tough travel day yesterday” as the team had to be rerouted first to Auckland due to unfavorable weather conditions. Then, from Wellington, Gilas Pilipinas traveled nearly 150 kilometers to Palmerston North for the tuneup game, which was witnessed by a packed gym full of Filipinos.
What Does This Win Mean for Gilas Pilipinas?
This win is certainly a positive development for Gilas Pilipinas and should give them confidence heading into the third window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers, where they will face the Tall Blacks of New Zealand and the Boomers of Australia. That the nationals won big even with Brownlee resting should also help galvanize the locals.
However, context matters. The Jets are not New Zealand, and they are not a top-tier team in the NZNBL—at least not this season. They are not even among the top four teams in the league, as they carry a 5-10 win-loss record and sit in joint seventh among eleven teams. What’s more, two of Manawatu’s top players, Tai and Corey Webster, did not play, severely weakening the team further.
So, yes, the win is a positive for Gilas Pilipinas. That Quiambao and company unleashed a high-octane running game is a good sign as well. But between the low quality of competition, the absence of two of the Jets’ top players, and the no-stakes nature of the game, it would be wise not to read too much into this win.
