MANILA – Gilas Pilipinas will aim for their second victory against Thailand when the two teams square off anew in the 2021 International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asia Cup qualifier at the Khalifa Sport City in Manama, Bahrain tonight.
The national men’s basketball team made some changes in its roster ahead of the match by inserting Negros Oriental-native Calvin Oftana and Frederick Tungcab in lieu of William Navarro and Mike Nieto.
Completing the 12-man roster for Gilas are Dwight Ramos, Justine Baltazar, Juan Gomez de Liano, Javi Gomez de Liano, Matt Nieto, Kobe Paras, Kemark Carino, George Isaac Go, Dave Ildefonso, and Rey Suerte.
Ramos, who finished with 20 points on perfect seven-of-seven shooting during Gilas’ 93-61 triumph over Thailand last Friday, admitted that tonight’s game might be tougher compared to their first meeting with the Thais.
“The next game against Thailand is probably going to be different,” said Ramos, an incoming player for the Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles. “They’re gonna adjust their game plan.”
“They played us before so they’ll make some adjustments, so we’ll make some adjustments as well. You never know next game. It could be tight, so we got to improve and be better,” he added.
Ramos also credited his Gilas teammates for his perfect showing last Friday.
“It’s probably my first game ever (that all my shots went in). The ball just went in,” Ramos said. “For me, I just try to play and do everything that our coaches say. It’s just today, the ball went in.”
“My teammates passed me the ball and they got me in the right spots. We’re just out there trying to have fun, try to follow our game plan,” added the Filipino-American center.
The Joseph Uichico-mentored Gilas Pilipinas are currently tied with South Korea at first place in Group A with a 2-0 win-loss slate. Thailand is knotted with Indonesia at 0-2./PN
