FOR the first time in months, everyone on the men’s national team is accounted for—but only barely a week before Gilas Pilipinas clashes with Chinese Taipei in the third window of the International Basketball Federation World Cup Asian Qualifiers.
Gilas Pilipinas Head Coach Chot Reyes had to endure with an incomplete pool in his Monday-only training session ahead of the game against the Taiwanese and could only be grateful his wards are showing dedication and chemistry developed from their previous matches.
All of his players are tied with their mother teams in the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup and Reyes could only hope they could extend their domination of the Taiwanese in the match set at 7 p.m. this Friday at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnasium.
A 15-man pool composed of 13 pros, naturalized player Andray Blatche and Gilas cadet Troy Rike are in Taiwan with Reyes announcing the final 12 on Thursday night.
Fiba 2014 World Cup veterans Gabe Norwood, Jayson Castro, June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar lead the cast, along with mainstays Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Matthew Wright, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Jio Jalalon, Baser Amer, Carl Bryan Cruz and Allein Maliksi.
Gilas Pilipinas is 3-1 won-lost in their head-to-head encounter with the Taiwanese, whom they beat, 90-83, last November at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Castro starred in that game with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. His numbers were crucial as Blatche almost went blank and finished with six points on a woeful 2-of-9 shooting.
Fajardo had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Pogoy and Wright each fired 11 points to tow the national team to a home win.
Win or lose, Gilas Pilipinas is assured of a passage to the second round of the qualifiers.
They will host Australia on July 2 at the Philippine Arena with National Basketball Association players Matthew Dellavedova and Thon Maker joining the Boomers this time.
Tickets to the Taiwan match are reportedly sold out with overseas Filipino workers scrambling for entry to the arena.