Gilas faces China Taipei, New Zealand, Iraq in FIBA Asia Cup

Gilas Pilipinas will face Chinese Taipei and New Zealand in Group D of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup along with Iraq in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

These teams defeated Gilas during the third window of the qualifiers last February, including a loss to Chinese Taipei by 91-84 on February 20 and an 87-70 defeat against New Zealand.

Iraq was added to Group D after the draw on Tuesday, April 8, completing the group's lineup. Coach Tim Cone expressed optimism about being 'ready' for the tournament.

Gilas secured an outright spot for the main event with a 4-2 record in the qualifier, while Chinese Taipei had to win additional qualifying games and New Zealand topped their group with a 5-1 record.

The Nationals aim to improve on their ninth-place finish from the last edition of the FIBA Asia Cup in 2022 and seek redemption against familiar foes in this year's tournament.

Coach Cone's squad will also need to manage the statuses of Kai Sotto, who is recovering from an ACL tear, and Justin Brownlee, who is awaiting a doping test result ruling.