FIBA: Games vs. Guam crucial pieces to Gilas’ Olympic puzzle —Cone

Gilas Pilipinas head coach Tim Cone. Photo from Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.MANILA — Gilas Pilipinas is set to open its campaign for a chance to return to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, and the journey begins against Guam.

The Nationals will face the Jericho Cruz-led Guamanian squad in an away game on November 28, before returning home to host the matchup at the Blue Eagle Gym on December 1, marking the start of their Group A assignments in the 2027 World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

While the world No. 37 Philippines is favored over No. 81 Guam, Gilas head coach Tim Cone stressed the significance of these early games, viewing them as crucial steps toward a bigger goal — the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

“If we don’t win these, our goals are dashed,” he said. “We’re working backwards. Our number one goal is the Olympics. To get to the Olympics, you need to get to the World Cup. To get there, we need to become one of the top seven teams here.”

Gilas is grouped with Guam, New Zealand, and Australia in the qualifiers. To advance to the next phase, the Philippines must finish at least third in the group. From there, they will need a top-three finish in the next round to secure a World Cup berth.

“So if we couldn’t get Guam — and then we’d also face New Zealand and Australia — then we might not get into the World Cup,” Cone explained. “These two games, to me, are the most important games that we play.”

Aside from Cruz, Cone is also wary of 6-foot-11 Jonathan Galloway, Gabriel Simon — who shot 31% from beyond the arc — and Tai Wesley, whose footwork Cone compared to that of his former player, PBA legend Sean Chambers.

With the stakes laid out clearly by Cone, it is now up to his 12-man squad to answer the challenge as Gilas eyes a strong start toward advancing to the next round.

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