Скачать или смотреть Full throttle for Gilas PH

There’s no reason for Gilas Pilipinas to treat the third window of the 2019 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers with a sense of comfort despite clinching a spot in the second round as early as last February.

Results from the first round will be carried over to the next phase of qualifiers where Gilas will face the three best teams from Group D in another round of home-and-away matches to determine which Asian nations qualify for next year’s World Cup in China.

Iran and Kazakhstan are tied for the lead in that group at presstime with identical 3-1 slates while Qatar and Iraq are tied for third at 1-3.

Gilas coach Chot Reyes is hopeful that the gains made in the past four practices will translate into something positive for the matches against Taiwan being played at presstime in this city and Australia on Monday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“We’re seeing the effects of having four days of practice, you know, the big value of coming in and having a full compliment of players,” Reyes said.

The second round of the qualifiers start on September 13 with Gilas bracketed in Group F alongside the three aforementioned teams, Australia and either Taiwan or Japan.

At presstime, Australia is unbeaten after four matches, Gilas has a 3-1 slate, Taiwan 1-3 and Japan in a precarious situation at 0-4.

Group E will have New Zealand, China and South Korea from Group A and Jordan, Lebanon and Syria from Group C.

The top three teams in each group advance to the World Cup along with the best fourth placer from either bracket.

But the top fourth-ranked nations will get to play in the World Cup if China finishes in the top three of Group E.

Gilas held its final practice before last night’s match at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gym, with Reyes describing the session as “good” and “sharp.”

The team was later treated to a dinner hosted by the PBA delegation led by Commisioner Willie Marcial and team governors from San Miguel Corporation, MVP group, Alaska, Phoenix, GlobalPort, Rain or Shine and Blackwater.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan, on the other hand, was expected to arrive yesterday in time for the Gilas-Taiwan encounter.