GILAS Pilipinas faces a Chinese Taipei side fighting for survival in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers on Thursday at the Taipei Heping basketball gymnasium.
Game time is set at 7 p.m.
The Filipinos will stake their unbeaten 4-0 record against the home team, though they've already been qualified to the Asian Cup tournament proper set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from Aug. 5-17.
But Gilas coach Tim Cone emphasized the national team will be using this final window of the qualifiers as part of its preparations for the Saudi Arabia meet including its Feb. 23 rematch with the New Zealand (3-1) Tall Blacks in Auckland.
The Tall Blacks have also clinched a berth in the Asia Cup like the Philippines.
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The Taiwanese (1-3) however, are in a must-win situation as they try to finish at third place in Group B and make it to the Qualifying Tournament among third placed teams and a possible last-minute shot of making it to Jeddah.
Hong Kong, the team Chinese Taipei had beaten so far, 85-55, is at the bottom of the pool with a 0-4 record.
Gilas is coming off a five-day, three-game friendly in Doha, Qatar where it ended up with a 1-2 record, its lone win coming at the expense of the home team, 74-71.
It was a compact week for the national team that is scheduled to play a total of five games in three different countries in just about a week.
"That's what being a professional basketball player is all about. You have to be ready to play regardless of where and what time. You got to put your best foot forward at all times," said guard Chris Newsome in an interview with One Sports prior to the team's departure to Chinese Taipei.
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"Tough schedule, but that's just the way it is this window," added Dwight Ramos.
Gilas defeated Chinese Taipei, 106-53, at the Philsports Arena a year ago during their first encounter in the qualifiers.(RG)
