MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas received a harsh reality check just days before its Asian Games title defense, absorbing an 81-55 defeat to South Korea in a tune-up game Friday night in Suwon.
The loss exposed some of the challenges facing the Philippines’ revamped national team, but an even bigger question continues to hang over the squad: Will Justin Brownlee be healthy enough to join Gilas in Japan?
South Korea quickly established control at the Suwon KT Sonicboom Arena, taking a 24-18 lead after the opening period and extending it to 45-33 by halftime. Gilas struggled to generate offense in the second half, scoring only 22 points as the Koreans pulled away.
The Philippines eventually fell by 26 points, 81-55, in its first of two scheduled friendlies against South Korea.
Baltazar leads Gilas in difficult outing
Justine Baltazar was the Philippines’ leading scorer with 15 points and 10 rebounds, while Adrian Nocum added 10 points.
For South Korea, Lee Jung-hyun delivered a spectacular shooting performance, finishing with 27 points, three rebounds and five assists while knocking down 7-of-11 attempts from three-point range.
Gilas struggled badly from the field, shooting just 18-of-55 from two-point range and 5-of-27 from beyond the arc.
The Koreans, meanwhile, continued to stretch the lead as the game progressed, leaving coach Tim Cone with plenty to evaluate before the teams meet again.
The bigger concern: Justin Brownlee
While the 26-point defeat grabbed the headlines, the status of Justin Brownlee remains the most important unresolved issue surrounding Gilas Pilipinas.
Brownlee is still in the United States recovering from hamstring and knee injuries suffered during the PBA Governors’ Cup playoffs. Those injuries also prevented him from playing in Gilas’ most recent FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers window.
Cone said Brownlee has yet to confirm whether he will make the trip to Japan and remains in the process of obtaining medical clearances from doctors in the United States.
The door, however, remains open.
Cone has reserved the 12th and final roster spot for Brownlee rather than immediately bringing in another player.
Gilas prepared to play with only 11 players
If Brownlee cannot obtain clearance in time, Gilas could enter the Asian Games with an 11-man roster.
Cone said the coaching staff has no replacement player currently lined up for the final spot, citing the logistical and financial considerations involved in adding another player to the traveling group.
Rather than viewing an 11-man roster as a major disadvantage, Cone believes the team can manage it.
He pointed to Gilas’ experience at the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where the Philippines competed with 11 players following Scottie Thompson’s injury.
Cone also believes the smaller roster could allow key players to receive longer stretches on the floor rather than forcing the coaching staff to distribute minutes simply to accommodate a larger squad.
A completely different-looking Gilas team
This year’s Asian Games squad is considerably different from the group that represented the Philippines in recent FIBA qualifying games.
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