THERE won’t be the usual go-to Justin Brownlee around when the push comes to shove as the Philippines plays Jordan without its injured naturalized player on Friday night in the fourth window of the FIBA 2027 World Cup Asia Qualifiers at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
But head coach Tim Cone isn’t treating Brownlee’s absence as a liability but a motivation.
‘I think all of us are excited to be playing this window as an All-Filipino unit,’ Cone said. ‘The challenge will be great, but the winning will be sweeter.’
‘Everybody is really motivated to play and Kai certainly gives us a chance,’ he added.
Sotto, the Philippines tallest agile player thus far at 7-foot-3 with now plenty of international experience, will be around to man the shade, thus complimenting the tough tasks on Cone’s big men against the physical Jordanese.
Jordan, for sure, is out for vengeance, too-Cone’s Gilas beat the Jordanians, 70-60, in the final of the Hangzhou 19th Asian Games three years ago, giving the continental back to the Philippines after 61 years.
That mission to get back at the Philippines was reiterated by Her Royal Highness, Princess Ayah bint Faisal-president of Jordan’s volleyball federation and a board member and representative to the Asian Volleyball Confederation and the FIVB.
‘You beat us for the gold medal in Hangzhou-but remember, we defeated your team in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers,’ Faisal told the BusinessMirror at the sides of the AVC Gala in Bangkok earlier this month. ‘We’ll make sure we beat you again.’
Jordan edged the Philippines, 91-90, in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers on February 27, 2023, at the Philippine Arena.
What could keep Cone and the rest of the team at the edge is Jordan’s naturalized player, Jalen Harris, who played for the Toronto Raptors in the 2020-2021 season of the National Basketball Association.
‘Jordan is playing at a general level and their naturalized player, Jalen Harris, is incredibly good,’ Cone said. ‘He’s a game changer.’
The 6-foot-4 Harris is averaging 27 points, 4.2 rebound and 2.7 assists in the qualifiers that gave Jordan a 5-1 win-loss record in Group E, where the Philippines is at the bottom with a 2-4 record.
The Jordan game is set at 8:30 p.m. and up next for the Philippines is Iran on Sunday at 8 p.m. in the same venue.
Gilas’s final 12 are Sotto, Dwight Ramos, Juan Gomez de Liaño, CJ Perez, Chris Newsome, Justine Baltazar, June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Troy Rosario, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo and AJ Edu.
Ramos said he expect a highly-motivated Jordan side.
‘We played Jordan before many times and has fine individual players,’ he said, adding that the 28-year-old Harris is a threat they need to muster.