GILAS Pilipinas wraps up its campaign in the first round of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers with another road match against Australia in Perth, although Filipino fans are expected to come all out for this match-up.
Here is the preview of the game.
AUSTRALIA VS. PHILIPPINES
When: Monday, July 6. 6:30 p.m. Philippine time and Australia Western Standard Time
Where: RAC Arena, Perth
Gilas eyes bounce back
Gilas tries to make up for Friday’s tough loss to New Zealand where they battled in two overtimes before being denied a road victory, 106-102. But it is going to be a difficult task as they go up against the No. 6 ranked nation in the world.
Brownlee ruled out
Gilas will only have 11 players for Monday night’s contest as Justin Brownlee will sit out due to multiple injuries - a hamstring strain and peroneal tendinopathy in his right leg, and left knee swelling with cartilage defects. It is fair to speculate that Brownlee’s injuries could be one of the reasons why the Gilas naturalized player only made five points against New Zealand.
Previous meeting
The Boomers beat Gilas in a rout, 93-66, last March 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena, reasserting their dominance. The last time Australia lost to the Philippines, 101-100, in FIBA competition was in the 1974 World Championships in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
Boomers shoot the lights out
Australia enters the game against Gilas on a high after trouncing Guam by 72 points, 124-52, after converting a World Cup Qualifiers-record 24 threes. In their previous game, Australia hit 15 threes with Elijah Pepper converting five. Gilas must be wary of the Boomers’ ability to shoot from the outside, but that doesn’t mean that it’s the only way to beat the home squad.
Juan has tough task vs Boomers
One of the Gilas players that made a huge impression was Juan Gomez de Liano, who along with Kevin Quiambao topscored for Gilas Pilipinas with 23 points. More than ever, Juan GDL’s offense is needed with Brownlee out for this game. But Gomez de Liano will also have double duties for this match-up as he is in line to take the role of defending the top guards of Australia in NBA player Tyrese Proctor and six-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton.
Win before entering second round
Gilas will be looking to go to the second round with a victory against Australia, a big boost to their campaign to qualify for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027. Though already assured of a place in the next round, each team will carry its win-loss record over into the second round where Gilas will next meet teams from Group C in Syria, Iran, and Jordan.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
