CHICAGO - After four qualifying windows, Gilas Pilipinas' hopes of earning a slot in the 2027 FIBA World Cup is still alive.
But it's ticking with a faint heartbeat, wounded by a 4-4 won-lost record in Group E play.
Another qualifying window opens this month when Gilas plays Syria on the 27th and Iran two days later.
However, an opportunity for Gilas to improve to 6-4 and enter the big dance in Doha, Qatar is in serious jeopardy.
Kai Sotto is potentially unavailable.
THE X FACTOR
Without the 7-foot-3 center the chances of sweeping Syria and Iran in short order quickly regressed from absolutely doable to probable.
After missing the first two games of the 2026-27 Japan B League season, Sotto played four straight for the Altiri Chiba and averaged an impressive 12 points, 11.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists.
Since then, though, a series of DNPs followed, a string that is currently at seven games.
Through a social media post, Altiri Chiba described the absences as "due to poor physical condition."
It's annoyingly vague, so we dug deeper and found out what we can without breaching health privacy issues.
TRAUMA.
"The knee is swollen," a source with knowledge of the situation told me on Sunday.
It's unclear if the swelling is from the same knee that was surgically repaired for a torn ACL in January 2025.
Per the Mayo Clinic, a swollen knee occurs when "excess fluid collects in and around the knee joint."
Knee swelling is painful and results in stiffness. Its causes vary from "trauma, overuse injuries, or an underlying condition."
Gilas usually assembles at least ten days before a window game, which means players will be asked to report for practice in 15 days.
Will Kai Sotto's achy knee be healthy by then?
Will his handlers give the go signal or rest him instead out of an abundance of caution?
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