GILAS Pilipinas is keenly monitoring the situation of Kai Sotto after he sustained an injury on his left knee in the Japan B.League on Sunday.
Gilas assistant coach Richard Del Rosario said they are waiting for the result of the MRI done on Sotto after his left knee buckled awkwardly during Koshigaya Alpha’s loss to the Mikawa Sea Horses on Sunday.
Sotto has been a vital part of the Gilas program under head coach Tim Cone. He is averaging 15.5 points and 12.5 rebounds in four games during the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers.
READ Kai Sotto's impressive season dampened by knee injury scare
Sotto is coming off a November window where he had one of his best games as a Gilas player when he had 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks in the Philippines’ upset win over New Zealand at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Cone, meanwhile, said the current Gilas program will allow the team to fill up the spot in case Sotto’s injury will be serious and will cause him to miss games for Gilas.
“That’s why we have Japeth [Aguilar],” said Cone at the sidelines of Barangay Ginebra’s win over San Miguel in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup on Sunday. “Japeth is there to replace any of the bigs that we have.”
Aguilar is currently in the Gilas pool as a reserve along with Mason Amos in the event of injuries to the team.
“If you can tell me if there’s another big out there that plays through Japeth’s size and ability, I’ll be happy to look at him, who is eligible and who has experience.”
“And we have Mason Amos to fortify us if we lose someone like Jamie [Malonzo] or one of the other guards,” said Cone.
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