Gilas Pilipinas vs Chinese Taipei at Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers

• Gilas Pilipinas begins its 2025 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers third window campaign where it faces Chinese Taipei and New Zealand on the road.
• The Philippines is already qualified for the continental meet to be held in Saudi Arabia in August.
• Gilas is 4-0 so far in Group B. New Zealand and Chinese Taipei hold 3-1 and 1-3 cards, respectively.

February 20, Thursday – Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, Taipei

• 7pm – Chinese Taipei vs Gilas Pilipinas

Gilas Pilipinas’ AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, Justin Brownlee and Kevin Quiambao. –SBP FACEBOOK

• Japeth Aguilar
• Justin Brownlee
• AJ Edu
• June Mar Fajardo
• Jamie Malonzo
• Chris Newsome
• Calvin Oftana
• CJ Perez
• Kevin Quiambao
• Dwight Ramos
• Carl Tamayo
• Scottie Thompson

MANILA, Philippines—AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo are returning to the final roster in Gilas Pilipinas’ match against Chinese Taipei in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers third window.

Without Kai Sotto, who suffered an ACL tear not too long ago, coach Tim Cone brought back the 6-foot-10 Edu and tapped veteran Japeth Aguilar to infuse some height into the roster.

Along with Malonzo, Ginebra stars are  headlining the final lineup for Thursday with naturalized player Justin Brownlee and guard Scottie Thompson.

FILE–Gilas Pilipinas during the second window of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Clipped without one of its young cornerstones, Gilas Pilipinas gets to show its legion of fans and the region what it is truly made of when it battles vengeful Chinese Taipei in Thursday’s third and final window of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.

The Nationals (4-0, win-loss) take on the hosts (1-3) at 7 p.m. at Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium, looking to prove that they are still a capable bunch even with 7-foot-3 rising star Kai Sotto out.

Aside from the absence of easily one of its most efficient cogs, the Nationals are also out to prove that they were hardly fazed by a string of losses on the road and the bout of traveling that came with it.

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone during the Fiba Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers game. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas didn’t have the stellar run it was expected of in the Doha International Cup but coach Tim Cone hopes it’s just a rough patch on the road to progress.

Before Gilas’ main quest—the final leg of the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers—Cone descried that the Philippines’ three-game run in Doha as nothing short of “disappointing.”

“Honestly, it’s been disappointing so far. we didn’t perform as well as we wanted to in Doha,” bared Cone.

FILE–Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee during a game against Chinese Taipei in the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—The last time Gilas Pilipinas faced Chinese Taipei, it ended in a blowout.

In their upcoming second and final meeting in the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers, coach Tim Cone is expecting it to be an almost completely different ballgame.

“We know they’re going to be a lot, lot better than what we played last time,” said the veteran tactician.

Members of the Gilas Pilipinas delegation in Taiwan ahead of the team’s Fiba Asia Cup qualifying game against home team Taipei. –SBP PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas has arrived in Taiwan to play first of the two games in the third and final window of the 2025 Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers.

On Wednesday morning, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) reported that the national team landed in Taiwan after a day after making a quick stop in the Philippines after a short pocket tournament in Qatar.

Gilas Pilipinas immediately went to training in Taipei.

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