SA kabilang ng matinding 55-point na paglampaso na nalasap ng India mula sa kamay ng New Zealand sa FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers kahapon, hindi basta-basta magpapakumpiyansa ang Philippines.

Nagbabadya sa posibleng pagresbak ng mga Indians sa 46-101 pagkatalo sa Tall Blacks upang umpisahan ang kanilang second window campaign, handa na ang Gilas kung ano ang gagawin ng kanilang katunggali mula sa South Asia ngayong alas-6 ng gabi sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.

“They’re a tall team, well coached and they’ve been together for a long time. A couple of guys there, we’ve seen them for 10 to 11 years, so they’ve been together for a decade already,” sabi ng nagbabalik na national coach na si Chot Reyes.

“You can imagine the kind of chemistry and familiarity they’ve built with each other. That alone is a cause for us to make sure that well take our best to be able to compete against them,” aniya.

Sa kabila ng malayong world rankings, kung saan ang Philippines ay nasa No. 33 at ang India ay nasa ika-80 puwesto, alam ni Reyes ang kakayahan ng mga bisita.

“No. 1 is India’s size. They’ve had over the years right before our eyes, we’ve seen India develop and grow into a legitimate basketball competitor,” sabi ni Reyes.

Tangan ang average height na si 6-foot-6, pagbibidahan ng 7-foot-2 center na si Princepal Singh, na naglaro sa NBA G League Ignite team, ang Indians, na minamanduhan ni Serbian mentor Veselin Matic.

Laban sa New Zealand, umiskor si Princepal Singh ng pitong puntos at kumuha ng apat na rebounds.

“Their skills have tremendously improved and with the way coach Matic is with them, we’re very certain that they’re going to be well coached and well prepared. That’s the thing I told our team, we have to completely be ready for a very tough team against India,” sabi ni Reyes.

Hanggang kahapon ng hapon, ay hindi pa nailalabas ng Gilas ang kanilang final 12 kontra sa Indians.

Haharapin sana ng Philippines ang long-time nemesis South Korea upang buksan ang kanilang kampanya sa second window kagabi.

Subalit sinabi ng FIBA noong Miyerkules ng gabi na inabisuhan sila ng Korea Basketball Association (KBA) sa kanilang desisyon na hindi bumiyahe sa Philippines dahil sa COVID-19 situation ng koponan.

“The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has formally received word from FIBA that Korea can no longer send a team to compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 – Asian Qualifiers hosted in the Philippines this week,” sabi ni SBP President Al Panlilio sa isang statement.

“We at the SBP commiserate with our friends from Korea as we know how difficult it is to deal with COVID-19. The SBP hopes that all the members of the team who caught the virus will get well at the soonest time possible,” aniya.

“We’ve worked hard to provide a safe venue as hosts for Windows 1 and 2 in Group A and we are looking forward to hosting and playing against India and New Zealand.”

Nanguna si Vodanovich na may 21 points, apat na rebounds at tatlong assists para sa Tall Blacks, habang nagdagdag sina Ethan Rusbatch ng 18 points, at Loe na may 15 points, 10 rebounds at anim na assists.

Tanging si Sahaij Pratap Singh Sekhon ang bumuslo ng double digits para sa India na may 10 points.