After PBA title run, Cone looks to pull off another surprise in Gilas return to FIBA qualifiers

Gilas Pilipinas is no stranger to pulling off surprises on the international stage and head coach Tim Cone is confident they can manage one more when they return to the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers next month.

Although most Gilas members are coming off their respective professional campaigns, Cone stressed the importance of the days leading up to the Qualifiers, where Gilas will battle powerhouse teams from New Zealand and Australia in a pair of away games.

"Well, we know it's going to be tough. We're looking forward to it. You know, we've been a team that's pulled surprises before, and I'm not going to be surprised if we pull a surprise," Cone said on the heels of Gilas' open practice on Monday at the FilOil EcoOil Centre.

"But I like the way the SBP has set it up for us in terms of being able to go down to Brisbane and acclimatize ourselves to the weather a little bit, get a camp down there, and then play a couple of friendlies against pro New Zealand teams."

Leading Gilas Pilipinas is naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who, alongside other members RJ Abarrientos and Troy Rosario, is fresh off a grueling title run in the PBA Season 50 Commissioner's Cup.

Brownlee steered Barangay Ginebra to the crown after outlasting rival TNT in Game 7 of the finals. It was also in that run that Brownlee was awarded his fourth Best Import award while Abarrientos was named the Best Player of the Conference. Cone was the coach of that team.

They will now look to replicate some of that magic in the Qualifiers, where the Philippines aims to secure one of the three Group A tickets to the second round.

"I'm not tired from the finals. I'm ready to get going, so I think our guys are all ready to get going, too," Cone, who just captured his 26th PBA title, said.

But aside from the Ginebra core, Cone will also have at his disposal the likes of reigning PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo and PBA stars in Chris Newsome, Juan Gomez de Liaño, and Justin Baltazar. Gilas will also feature overseas stars Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao.

Mike Phillips rounds out the 12-man roster as he is expected to provide the ceiling, filling the void left by big men Quentin Millora-Brown and Kai Sotto, who will be absent from this tournament.

"We don't just look at the talent and say, you know, he's the most talented player there, therefore we're going to get him. We try to make him come in and fit the puzzle of the vision that we have for the team," Cone said.

"And Mike does that in terms of his, you know, his name is Motor Mike, and there's a reason why he's Motor Mike. It's very apt, that nickname."

Gilas will open its third window campaign on July 3 against New Zealand before taking on Australia on July 6. Gilas has not beaten either of these teams in this cycle with the Tall Blacks pulling off a 69-66 win last February and the Boomers ekeing out a 93-66 victory in March. Gilas, though holds a win over New Zealand in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers back in 2024.

READ MORE | Gilas Pilipinas stuns New Zealand for the first time, inches closer to FIBA Asia Cup ticket

"You know, every game for Gilas is a championship game. It's a game seven, and we just got to prepared the best we can."

—JMB, GMA News