MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas struggled in the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers, suffering back-to-back defeats against Taiwan and New Zealand as they adjusted to playing without Kai Sotto, who is out due to a torn ACL injury.
Head coach Tim Cone admitted that the absence of the 7-foot-3 center created a major gap in the team’s lineup, forcing them to rethink their approach.
“We lost a really, obviously, key, key player for a year in terms of Kai Sotto. So we’re still trying to adjust how to play without him. That’s the things we’re gonna be talking about and thinking about as we go into the FIBA Asia Cup,” Cone said after Gilas suffered an 87-70 loss to New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday.
Sotto was instrumental in Gilas’ 93-89 win over the Tall Blacks in their first encounter last November at the Mall of Asia Arena, delivering 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in a standout performance. However, his absence in the rematch allowed New Zealand to dominate inside the paint, with Tohi Smith-Milner leading the way with 25 points, nine rebounds, and two assists.
With the loss, the Philippines finished second in Group B at 4-2, while New Zealand secured the top spot with a 5-1 record. The defeat also meant a tougher path for Gilas in the FIBA Asia Cup.
“This was important for seeding, so we really wanted to get that seeding. But that’s now going to go to New Zealand. We’re going to have a tougher road through that Cup. That’s something that’s uppermost in our minds as well,” Cone added.
Gilas had a challenging stretch of games, including their participation in the 2nd Doha Invitational Cup in Qatar, where they managed to defeat Qatar, 74-71, but suffered heavy losses against Lebanon (75-54) and Egypt (86-55).
Despite the series of setbacks, Cone remains focused on the bigger picture, using these experiences as preparation for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this August.
“We were trying to look at a bigger picture in terms of the FIBA Asia coming up because we know we’re not going to have much time, maybe eight, 10 days at most to prepare for that tournament,” Cone explained.
“So everything we do, just like coach Judd saying, it’s cumulative. It’s cumulative experiences. We are trying to take each window as an experience and move it onto the next one and onto the next one, and hopefully grow it and improve.”
With only a few months left before the tournament, Gilas must find ways to adapt without Sotto and address their weaknesses to improve their chances in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
