Kai Sotto-less Gilas Pilipinas braces for tough New Zealand Tall Blacks in FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers

TOHI SMITH-MILNER and Jordan Ngatai, heroes of New Zealand’s (NZ)conquests of Gilas Pilipinas in previous competitions, serve as spearhead as the Tall Blacks seek to reassert their mastery against the hosts in Thursday’s FIBA World Cup Asia Qualifiers (WCQ) duel.

Mr. Smith-Milner torched the Nationals with 25 points spiked by five triples in the Kiwis’ 87-70 rout at the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers in Auckland a year ago while Mr. Ngatai rifled in five treys in a 23-point performance in NZ’ 94-86 win at the Asia Cup proper last August 2025 in Jeddah.

For the next showdown at the SM MOA Arena, which kicks off the second window of the WCQ, the duo is teaming up with Taylor Britt, Max Darling, Carlin Davison, Tyrell Harrison, Alex McNaught, Sam Mennenga, Taine Murray, debutant Keanu Rasmussen, Reuben Te Rangi and Yanni Wetzell.

The 6-foot-9 Mr. Mennenga, who averaged 17.5 points and eight rebounds in Window 1, banners the NZ frontline with the 6-foot-9 Mr. Milner, 6-foot-11 Mr. Harrison and 6-foot-10 Mr. Wetzell against the Kai Sotto-less Filipinos.

Without the 7-foot-3 Mr. Sotto, the Tim Cone-coached Gilas will depend on its 6-foot-10 trio June Mar Fajardo, AJ Edu and Quentin Millora-Brown in the battle underneath.

“Right now, with who we have, I think we still have a really good chance with June Mar, AJ and me at the bigs,” Mr. Millora-Brown said in an interview on One Sports. “AJ and I are agile, quick. We can keep up with all of them. June Mar is so big and strong. He’s a real advantage there. So just finding ways to maximize our advantages is important.”

The match pits squads with contrasting starts in Group A.

The Nationals got off and running with a pair of romps over lightweight Guam, 87-46 and 95-71, whereas the Tall Blacks dropped their two assignments against Australia, 79-84 and 77-79, in the opening window last November and December. — Olmin Leyba