GILAS Pilipinas will have its final local tune-up match today against the Taiwan Mustangs at the Philsports Arena before heading for the tough FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Men’s Tournament next week in Riga, Latvia.
Led by Justin Brownlee, the country’s hero in capturing the Hangzhou Asian Games men’s basketball crown last October, the Filipinos take on the Mustangs mentored by former Rain or Shine assistant coach Chris Gavina in the 6 p.m. match that is free to the public.
While Brownlee, who has finished playing for Pelita Jaya in the Indonesian Basketball League, will be around, another key cog in the Asian Games outing, Ginebra’s Scottie Thompson, will be sidelined due to a severe disc injury suffered during the last Philippine Cup.
National team manager Richard del Rosario announced the sad development on the PBA website last week, adding that finding a replacement for the do-it-all spitfire was difficult, leaving them with an 11-man roster for the challenging Olympic qualifying competition in the Latvian capital.
With AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo also hobbled by injuries, named as replacements were Japeth Aguilar and Amos Mason, according to Del Rosario from the team’s training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
Also named by Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone to the team were June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Kevin Quiambao, Carlos Tamayo and PBA Philippine Cup finals MVP Chris Newsome of the newly-crowned Meralco Bolts.
Gilas Pilipinas will face a daunting gauntlet in Riga for the lone Olympic berth in the six-team tournament.
The Philippines is bracketed in Group A with host Latvia and Georgia, both European cage powerhouses, with the top two squads in the one-round series advancing to the crossover semifinals.
Group B is composed of Brazil, Cameroon and Montenegro.
The Gilas Pilipinas campaigners open the tournament on July 3 against the hosts, ranked sixth in the men’s FIBA world rankings, then face Georgia (No. 23) the next day.
After a one-day respite, the meet resumes with the semifinals on July 6 while the finals for an Olympic ticket will be held the succeeding day.
