The Philippine national men’s basketball team stood toe-to-toe against the best of New Zealand basketball, yielding a close one-point loss to the Tall Blacks in a closed-door session on Thursday.
New Zealand is ranked 18th in the FIBA World rankings, with China as the only Asian country higher on the list.
So the result left former national coaches Rajko Toroman and Tim Cone impressed as the team gears up for the FIBA Asia Championship.
“It was a very good game for Gilas. That means they are ready for FIBA Asia,” wrote Toroman in a text message to InterAKTV.
Toroman, who currently serves as coaching consultant for Barako Bull, piloted the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team to a fourth-place finish in the same tournament two years ago in Wuhan, and he is confident this present team can surpass that feat. With his vast international experience, he has been a sounding board for Gilas coach Chot Reyes before the team left for New Zealand.
“Their close call was very impressive,” added Cone, whose Philippine Centennial Team won the country’s last medal in a top-level regional competition in the 1998 Asian Games. Cone also attended a couple of practices to provide a set of “fresh eyes” for Reyes.
“You have to really like the way the team is coming along.”
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