MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas felt the impact of Kai Sotto’s absence as they suffered consecutive defeats against Taiwan and New Zealand in the third and final window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers. The 7-foot-3 center, who played a key role in their previous victories, is currently sidelined due to a torn ACL.
Head coach Tim Cone acknowledged the difficulties of adjusting to life without their star big man, emphasizing that the team is still in the process of figuring out how to compensate for his absence.
“We lost a really, obviously, key, key player for a year in terms of Kai Sotto. So we’re still trying to adjust how to play without him. That’s the things we’re gonna be talking about and thinking about as we go into the FIBA Asia Cup,” Cone said following Gilas’ 87-70 loss to New Zealand in Auckland on Sunday.
Sotto had been a dominant force for Gilas in their previous 93-89 victory over the Tall Blacks in November, where he put up 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, and two blocks in a highly physical game at the Mall of Asia Arena. Without him in the rematch, New Zealand capitalized on their size advantage, with Tohi Smith-Milner leading the charge with 25 points, nine rebounds, and two assists.
The loss allowed New Zealand to secure the top spot in Group B with a 5-1 record, while the Philippines settled for second place at 4-2. The result also means a more difficult path for Gilas in the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
“This was important for seeding, so we really wanted to get that seeding. But that’s now going to go to New Zealand. We’re going to have a tougher road through that Cup. That’s something that’s uppermost in our minds as well,” Cone admitted.
Gilas entered the qualifiers after competing in the 2nd Doha Invitational Cup in Qatar, where they secured a 74-71 comeback win over Qatar but struggled in their next two outings, losing 75-54 to Lebanon and 86-55 to Egypt.
Despite the setbacks, Cone remains focused on long-term preparations for the FIBA Asia Cup 2025, which will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this August.
“We were trying to look at a bigger picture in terms of the FIBA Asia coming up because we know we’re not going to have much time, maybe eight, 10 days at most to prepare for that tournament,” Cone explained.
“So everything we do, just like coach Judd saying, it’s cumulative. It’s cumulative experiences. We are trying to take each window as an experience and move it onto the next one and onto the next one, and hopefully grow it and improve.”
With only a few months left before the tournament, Gilas must find ways to adjust without Sotto and work on their weaknesses to improve their performance in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025.
