November 16 ------ GILAS Pilipinas will be getting a lot longer preparation time for the February 2025 window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers as the PBA decided to make adjustments to its Commissioner’s Cup playoff schedule. The Nationals will play two away games to Chinese Taipei on February 20 and New Zealand on February 24 in the final stretch of their 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers campaign.
For that window, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the league will take a break in the middle of the playoffs, specifically after the quarterfinal round of the Commissioner’s Cup sometime during the second or third week of February. Marcial said the PBA will then start the semifinals in the final week of that month or shortly after the game against New Zealand that will conclude Gilas' campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers. “Ibibigay natin ang players natin after quarterfinals,” Marcial told SPIN.ph on Monday. “Tigil tayo (after quarterfinals), simula tayo ng semifinals pagbalik nila. “Kung hindi ako nagkakamali, around February 8 to 10, tigil tayo. Tapos ang balik natin, pagbalik nila, mga Feb.26 to 28, magsisimula na tayo. Ganun din kahirap ‘yung schedule natin to give way sa Gilas,” said Marcial.
With the PBA’s decision to take a lengthy break, Gilas could get a maximum of 20 days to prepare for the two games which could be crucial in the team’s bid to advance to the tournament proper to be held from August 5 to 17, 2025 in Saudi Arabia. This is in contrast to what Gilas has for the November 2024 window where the team will start training on November 15, just six days before their game against New Zealand on November 21 at the Mall of Asia Arena. It could even be potentially longer than the Olympic Qualifying Tournament this year when it had 13 days in between the start of the build-up at Inspire last June 24 to its first game of the tournament on July 4, although Gilas also had a series of tune-up games during that period.
In order to reach the quarterfinals the soonest possible time, Marcial said there would be weeks where playdates will be held six days a week. “May three weeks tayo na laro araw-araw puwera Monday. May weeks na ganun. May weeks naman na wala (Monday and) Tuesday to give way sa Gilas,” said Marcial. To book a seat in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 tournament proper, Gilas must be in the top two places in Group C. The third placers in each of the six groups will compete one last time for the final tickets to the Asia Cup.
Source: spin.ph
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