WITH the chance to gain an automatic quarterfinal berth in the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup already gone, Gilas Pilipinas will be trying to get the next best thing: the No. 2 seed in Group D.
The problem? It has to accomplish something it hasn't done before: beat New Zealand.
Both holding identical 1-1 win-loss records, Gilas and the Tall Blacks face off on Sunday to cap off their Group D assignments.
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The winner will have the relatively easier path in the knockout playoffs as it will take on the Group C's No. 3 seed, which will be the winner of Saturday's game between Kazakhstan and Syria.
The loser, however, will be relegated to No. 3 spot in Group D and will face either Japan and Iran with the two being at their best in the continental tilt. They face off on Saturday, with the winner advancing outright to the quarterfinals and the loser sliding to the No. 2 seed in Group C.
In the three matchups that Gilas and the Tall Blacks faced off, the Kiwis have always come out on top.
Led by naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche, Gilas put up a strong fight in the 2016 Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament before falling, 89-80.
Worse was the Filipinos' performance in the first round of the 2023 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers as they found themselves on the losing end of their duels.
The first was in February where Gilas was humiliated by the Tall Blacks, 88-63, on our home floor at Smart Araneta Coliseum where the Philippine team was jeered by the home fans.
More embarrassing was the two teams' recent face off, where New Zealand hardly broke a sweat in battering the Philippines en route to the 46-point mugging, 106-60, at Eventfinda Stadium in Auckland last June.
Can fourth time be the charm for Gilas? As tall of a task as it is, the old adage still rings true: bilog ang bola.
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