Gilas Pilipinas will be in for a tough two games in the third window of the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers—and that’s putting it lightly.
That’s because the national team will be going up against Oceania powerhouses Australia and New Zealand, both on hostile territory. Both the Boomers and Tall Blacks dispatched Gilas Pilipinas here on local soil in the second window, and each will be bringing in an even stronger lineup the next time around.
No less than Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone acknowledged the gargantuan task that lies ahead.
“We know it’s going to be tough, but we look forward to it,” said Cone during Gilas’ send‑off press conference on Monday at the FilOil Centre in San Juan.
Cone Is Unfazed
Gilas Pilipinas faces New Zealand on July 3 and Australia on July 6, with the prospect of coming out winless in its last four games against the Oceania behemoths. Cone, though, isn’t ruling out a shocker—which he says is contingent on the quality of preparation the national team gets this time around.
“We’ve been a team that’s pulled off surprises before, so I’m not gonna be surprised if we pull off another one,” Cone pointed out. “That’s really good preparation for us. I’ve always said that a prepared team is a confident team, and if we are confident, that’s going to show in our games.”
Cone is right. Hoops fans have seen it. The Cone‑led national team previously shocked Latvia in the 2024 FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament. It also beat New Zealand that same year in Window 2 of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, here at home.
Gilas Pilipinas Has New Faces
Now, Cone is hoping he can prepare Justin Brownlee and company well enough to be in good enough form to shock either Australia or New Zealand—or maybe even both.
To do that, he will have to integrate new faces in Mike Phillips and Justine Baltazar while also relying more on Juan Gomez De Liaño, a late replacement for the injured Scottie Thompson. These new faces, according to Cone, have been specifically brought in because they fit in the grand scheme of things.
“We bring them in with a purpose,” said Cone. “We don’t just look at talent; we try to bring in players who fit the puzzle of our team’s vision.”
That vision, at least for the near term, is to pick up a win in the third window.
