JORDAN Clarkson and Kai Sotto are back in Gilas Pilipinas uniform as they spearhead the national campaign in the fourth window of the 2022 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
It's a huge boost for a Philippine team in dire need of good news as it pins its hopes on the partnership of the former NBA Sixth Man of the Year awardee from the Utah Jazz and the 7-foot-3 wunderkind who's currently playing for the Adelaide 36ers.
But games aren't won on paper alone and Gilas itself knows that it is facing an uphill climb in the home-and-away series that will see it pay Lebanon, the 2022 Fiba Asia Cup silver medalist, a visit in Beirut before hosting Saudi Arabia at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Not all fans can head to the venues though.
That's why fans are sure to be glued on their TV sets with TV5, the official Fiba broadcaster in the country, broadcasting the games live on One Sports and One Sports+.
Here are the Philippines' schedule for this August window:
Aug. 26 (Friday)
2 a.m. - Lebanon vs Philippines
Nouhad Nawfal Sports Complex, Beirut
Aug. 29 (Monday)
7 p.m. - Philippines vs Saudi Arabia
Mall of Asia Arena, Manila
Mobile users can also watch the games through their devices via the Cignal Play app, while Smart subscribers can enjoy the games in the Smart GigaPlay app.
Fiba also has Courtside 1891, an over-the-top streaming service where fans can watch the other Fiba-sanctioned events from all over the globe while also having access to schedules, live statistics, stories, and highlights.
It offers an introductory 10-minute game highlights for free for its Courtside 1891 Plus account where fans must register to gain access to extended highlights and a curated feed; and a Max pass, a paid subscription that gives fans access to live games and full on-demand replays.
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