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JUSTIN Brownlee vows to use the upcoming friendly games in Doha, Qatar, as an opportunity to be sharp as Gilas Pilipinas prepares for its two away games in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
Justin Brownlee TMT PHOTO
The sweet-shooting Gilas naturalized player admitted going through some rough shooting patches in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup with Barangay Ginebra.
But the 36-year-old Brownlee saved his best for last in the sudden death Game 3 last Sunday in the quarterfinals, firing 25 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists to lead Ginebra past Meralco, 94-87, en route to clinching the semifinal seat.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Brownlee said, referring to the Doha friendly games set to start this Friday. “Definitely I’m not going to take a break or take it lightly. We got two tough opponents coming up with the national team.”
Though Gilas is 4-0 in its first four games in the two windows, Brownlee said there’s no slowing down at all. After Doha where Gilas plays Egypt, Qatar and Lebanon, the national team plays Taiwan on Feb. 20 followed by New Zealand on Feb. 23 in a pair of away games to close the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
The coming Gilas tournaments, Browlee said, gives him more time to work on his shooting as he thinks ahead of the semifinal series against NorthPort late this month.
“I want to be sharp, and of course, [I’m] thinking of the playoffs, try to get better because I have not been shooting the ball [well] in the three-point [line] this whole conference,” he admitted.
=”I’m just gonna keep trying to work on myself, tune it up, and use every moment to stay sharp and even get better any way I can.”
Brownlee said he’s pumped up to play against Taiwan, which will be defending its turf this time, as well as against New Zealand in Auckland.
Gilas showed no mercy against Taiwan, 106-53, during the February 2024 window at the Mall of Asia Arena. And then last November, Gilas pulled the rug from under New Zealand, 93-89, marking the first time the Philippines defeated the former Oceanian basketball powerhouse since 2016.
Gilas has already secured a spot in the FIBA Asia Cup tournament to be held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from Aug. 5-17.
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Credit belongs to : www.manilatimes.net
