GILAS Pilipinas will have its hands full in the knockout quarterfinals of the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup as it takes on Japan on Tuesday.
The Akatsuki Five has gone on a tear in the continental tournament, finishing in second place in Group C, losing to Iran for the pool's top seed.
See B.League import Kiefer hopes his familiarity enough for Gilas to shackle Japan
Yet for the past decade, the Philippines has owned its number, going on a perfect 6-0 record in their head-to-head clashes in Fiba-sanctioned tournaments.
In the last four Fiba Asia Cup competitions, Gilas has beaten Japan in the three times that they met, first in the 2013 edition in Manila where Marcus Douthit and Jeff Chan led the Filipinos to a 90-71 rout in the second round of the group stages.
Gilas also got the better of Japan two years later in Changsha where it was Andray Blatche and Jayson Castro who led the Philippines in a 73-66 win in the second round and once again an 81-70 win in the semifinals.
The Philippines also swept its home-and-away series in the 2019 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers, with Blatche once again anchoring the 77-71 victory in Tokyo in Nov. 24, 2017 and an 89-84 escape at Mall of Asia Arena in Feb. 25, 2018.
Curiously, the last time the two nations met was also in Jakarta for the 2018 Asian Games where Jordan Clarkson and Christian Standhardinger tore an undermanned Akatsuki Five team in the classification round, 113-80, at Gelora Bung Karno Basketball Hall.
Only Tenketsu Harimoto remains from that Asian Games team.
Yuta Watanabe and the Japanese squad look to get past the Philippines and enter the last eight.
This time, it's going to be a complete role reversal with Japan having its own NBA player in Yuta Watanabe as well as having the luxury of a naturalized player in Luke Evans.
Bobby Ray Parks will also take on familiar faces with Nagoya Diamond Dolphins teammates Harimoto and Yutaro Suda part of the Japan national team.
The last time the Philippines lost to Japan was in the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou where Kosuke Takeuchi, Yuta Tabuse, and Takumi Ishizaki edged Smart Gilas, 60-58, in the second round.
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