Gilas will be hunted by China, rivals in Asian Games, Newsome says

Justin Brownlee brought down China almost singlehandedly in the semifinals of the last Asian Games. —PSC-POC MEDIA POOL

Being the defending champion has put a big target on the back of Gilas Pilipinas ahead of the Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games next month.

Gilas will be heading to Japan with a lineup different from the ones coach Tim Cone usually assembles in Fiba competitions, while also getting an early test in its campaign after being grouped with powerhouse China.

“Everybody knows the rivalry that we have with China. And I think it’s definitely in their heads, what happened to them last time out,” Chris Newsome said. “So we got to understand that they’re going to come with it.”

The Philippines ended a 61-year gold drought in 2023 in Hangzhou, China, with its biggest win coming by way of a massive comeback against the host nation in the semifinals on Justin Brownlee’s back-to-back triples in the dying seconds.

Newsome was also part of that squad, which eventually saw Gilas secure the gold by defeating Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and Jordan in the final.

Gilas will also face Bahrain and Kazakhstan in Group C, where the top two teams are guaranteed to advance to the quarterfinals.

“We’ve got to be ready for that punch that they’re going to have. Everybody, for that matter, had that target on the Philippines as the defending champs,” Newsome said. “And we just really got to accept the challenge, and know what lies ahead.”

Coach Tim Cone has hinted that the Gilas roster will comprise an all-PBA lineup, with players based in Japan and South Korea unavailable.

New faces are expected to don the Gilas jersey for the Asiad, with names like Rain or Shine’s Adrian Nocum, San Miguel Beer’s Don Trollano and Jerrick Ahanmisi, Blackwater’s Sedrick Barefield and Magnolia’s Zavier Lucero part of the pool.

Cone added that there’ll be additional players from his regular pool who will continue representing Gilas after the fourth window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

Before the Asian Games, Gilas will be facing Jordan and Iran on Friday and Sunday at the Mall of Asia Arena to start off the second round of qualification.

Gilas has been preparing for exactly a week since the team gathered last Monday at the San Miguel Corporation Sports Complex.

Last Thursday, Gilas prevailed over Korean Basketball League side Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Pheobus, 81-76, in a tuneup game. INQ