Gilas Pilipinas star Justin Brownlee against New Zealand in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers. Photo from FIBA Basketball.MANILA — Justin Brownlee had a rare off night for Gilas Pilipinas against New Zealand, and the question is clear: how will he bounce back as they face a tougher test in Australia?
The longtime Barangay Ginebra reinforcement was limited to four points on 2-of-10 shooting from the field and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc in Gilas’ 66-69 loss to New Zealand in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers last Thursday, as the visitors’ defense keyed in on Brownlee.
READ: Gilas falls to New Zealand, absorbs 1st defeat in WC Asian Qualifiers
“They did a really good job of doubling Justin, denying him touches,” Cone said after they absorbed their first loss of the tournament. “People are going to point out that he only had four points, but that was strictly through the game planning of New Zealand.”
Tall Blacks head coach Judd Flavell, in a separate postgame press conference, confirmed that limiting Brownlee was central to their strategy.
“He's about 80% of our game plan,” said Flavell. “We know that, traditionally, the Philippines have run a lot of triangle. And wherever he is on the floor, we know that the ball is coming back to Brownlee.”
Dwight Ramos finished with a team-high 16 points but on 6-of-21 shooting, while CJ Perez added 15 in an effort to compensate for Brownlee, who had been averaging 21.0 points per game for Gilas prior to that match.
Still, Ramos’ and Perez’s efforts were not enough. The question now is how Brownlee and the rest of the squad will respond against world No. 6 Australia on Sunday.
For Cone, the key will be finding the right balance between maximizing their talent and staying within their system.
“We didn't run as much triangle over there. We probably should have run more, but they did a good job of disrupting us,” said Cone. “That's the next step for us, being able to get more execution.”
Cone acknowledged that it will be easier said than done, especially with the short turnaround between games. Still, Gilas must make the most of its preparation if it hopes to have a real chance against the Boomers.
“That's why we didn't get much of a flow. Our guys were playing to their skills, and that was really what was most important,” said Cone. “It can be difficult to find, especially with a team that you're not with all the time. But again, the more we are together, we expect to fix that a little bit more.”
The Gilas-Australia match tips off at 7:30 p.m. at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
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