Gilas susubukan ng Talk ‘N Text: MVP Cup hahataw ngayon

LARO NGAYON

(Smart Araneta Coliseum)

4:15 p.m. – New Zealand

vs Chinese Taipei

7 p.m. – Talk ‘N Text

vs Gilas Pilipinas

MANILA, Philippines - Sasabak ang Gilas Pilipinas sa four-team, three-day Master Game Face MVP Cup sa pinakahuli nilang paghahanda para sa FIBA Asia Championship.

Makakatapat nila ang Talk ‘N Text ngayong alas-7 ng gabi sa pagsisimula ng nasabing pocket tourney sa Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Lalabanan naman ng Nationals ang Wellington Saints bukas kasunod ang Chinese Taipei sa Linggo kung saan hangad nilang mapaganda pa ang kanilang paglalaro bago sumabak sa Asian Olympic qualifier sa Changsha, China.

Sa MVP Cup opening day ay maglalaban ang mga Kiwis at ang mga Taiwanese sa alas-4:15 ng hapon kasunod ang bakbakan ng Nationals at Tropang Texters sa alas-7 ng gabi.

“(The MVP Cup) is one hell of a tournament. It’s a great preparation. This is going to be a challenge,” sabi ni Gilas coach Tab Baldwin sa press conference kahapon sa One Bar sa Holiday Inn Galeria sa Ortigas Center.

“(The MVP Cup) will be a huge step. Now our concentration level has to go up. There are lots of works now based on situa-tional plays. The next 10 to 12 days, this will be the difference if this will ultimately work or not (in the FIBA Asia),” dagdag pa nito.

Sinabi pa ni Baldwin na dapat niyang makita kung sino ang pinakamagaling na offensive five ng Nationals.

“We should start sharpening the pencil now. In the Jones Cup we divided playing minutes of players. Now we need to know who are the best offensive five we have, the best defensive five, the best rebounding five,” sabi ni Baldwin.

Matapos ang  MVP Cup ay magtutungo ang Gilas Pilipinas sa Cebu para sa isang closed-door team-building session bago dumiretso sa Changsha para sa FIBA Asia meet na nakatakda sa Sept. 23-Oct 3.

“We better not be peaking yet. The disruption during the build up, the situation of Andray Blatche, we’re nowhere near our peak. The important thing is how we peak during the tournament (in China),” ani Baldwin.

Ipaparada ni Baldwin sa MVP Cup ang Gilas Pilipinas lineup na sasalang sa FIBA Asia.