Gilas Pilipinas' February road trip makes a stop in Taiwan to take on Chinese Taipei in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
With a perfect 4-0 record and a ticket already secured for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, Gilas Pilipinas now look to stay dominant as they take on Chinese Taipei on the road in the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Despite already advancing, Gilas will aim to maintain its winning ways, while Chinese Taipei (1-3) fights to hold onto third place in Group B to stay in contention for the final qualifying tournament.
When these two teams last met in February 2024, Gilas delivered a 106-53 blowout at home, with Justin Brownlee leading the charge with 26 points, 13 rebounds, and five assists.
Kai Sotto dominated inside with 18 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three blocks. However, Gilas will be without the 7’3” center this time, as Sotto continues to recover from an ACL injury suffered in Japan’s B.LEAGUE.
Despite Sotto’s absence, Gilas will get a boost from the return of AJ Edu, who last suited up in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Having battled his own injury issues, Edu’s size, mobility, and defense will be key in filling the gap left by Sotto, especially against a Chinese Taipei squad desperate for a win.
Gilas heads into this game after a 1-2 stint in the Doha International Cup, using the tournament as valuable preparation for bigger battles ahead.
Even with qualification secured, expect the Philippines to come out strong, looking to extend their winning streak and further fine-tune their roster for the main tournament later this year.
Match is set for February 20, 7:00 p.m. at the Taipei Heping Basketball Gymnaisum.
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[Editor's note: This article was generated by a member of the One Sports Digital team using AI, and then checked by the staff to ensure accuracy.]