WHAT would Gilas Pilipinas do for an encore after a surprise semifinals stint in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Riga?
National coach Tim Cone said his wards are setting their sights on their Asia Cup qualifiers against New Zealand.
Despite the Tall Blacks getting the better of the Filipino cagers in their recent duels, Cone said the team is unfazed.
“New Zealand, they are a top-ranked team in the world,” Cone said two days ago during a press conference at the TV5 Media Center in Mandaluyong. “New Zealand is really going to be a tough team for us in the FIBA Asia.
“We are looking forward to measuring up with them because they have handled us easily in the last few years playing against us,” he added.
Gilas takes on New Zealand on Nov. 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay–a tiff that excites Cone but with guarded optimism.
“We are really looking forward to locking horns with them on an Asian level. That should be a really, really good fight coming in when they come in,” Cone said. “They are not a huge team in terms of a lot of 7-footers. But they are tall across the board. They are all 6-foot-8, 6-foot-9, their forwards are at that height. “The guards are 6-foot-5, 6-foot-6. They are really even across the lines, so they really cause a lot of problems. Historically, they have been a really, really tough team to match up to.”
The Nationals tangle with Hong Kong three days later at the same venue, with Cone noting that playing in front of true-blue Filipino fans should bring out the best in his players.
“We are excited about playing two home games. I think that’s the thing that we are most excited about, to be able to put our team out there,” he said. “I know we played in Latvia. We played in Taiwan at home, we played Hong Kong away. But what thrills the guys most together is coming together and playing for our own fans.”
