GILAS PILIPINAS is heading into the final stretch of their buildup for the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup, as they square off against the Macau Black Bears in a tuneup match at the Smart Araneta Coliseum tonight.
Before the home fans at 7:30 p.m., the Men’s National Basketball Team will take on a tough opponent as they prepare themselves for the difficult battles that lie ahead in the Asia Cup.
Once again, naturalized Filipino star Justin Brownlee is expected to lead the team to victory in what is considered the traditional “send-off” game for the national squad before they depart for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
He’ll be joined by Scottie Thompson, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Japeth Aguilar, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao, along with new additions Troy Rosario and RJ Abarrientos, who are also suiting up.
Meanwhile, fresh off their PBA Philippine Cup Finals run, June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of champion San Miguel, along with Calvin Oftana of runner-up TNT, have rejoined the team after the grueling series.
However, Gilas head coach Tim Cone said Fajardo and Oftana, who battled injuries during the finals, will not see playing time just yet, while Perez will be on “limited minutes.”
“June Mar and Calvin will not play. CJ will be limited minutes,” Cone said, as the three players finished a grueling series that ended in six games with the San Miguel Beermen smashing the hopes of TNT for a grand slam.
Gilas broke camp Sunday afternoon after spending the weekend training at Hustle Fitness Performance in Pampanga. Meanwhile, Coach Tim Cone shared his expectations for Gilas’ game against the Macau Black Bears.
“We’ll be more concerned about the quality of our play than the final score,” said Cone ahead of the Philippines lone friendly at home. “We just want to make sure we’re executing on both sides of the ball.”
Gilas broke camp Sunday afternoon after spending the weekend training at Hustle Fitness Performance in Pampanga. Meanwhile, Coach Tim Cone shared his expectations for Gilas’ game against the Macau Black Bears.
