Gilas Pilipinas’ men’s 3×3 squad is one win away from a quarterfinal berth at the 20th Asian Games. The young Filipinos face Kazakhstan on Wednesday, September 23, with a chance to sweep Pool A and keep the Philippines’ basketball medal hopes alive in Nagoya.

The Philippines enters the 12:15 p.m. clash riding a 2-0 start after wins over Asian No. 1 Mongolia, 19-12, and Sri Lanka, 21-12. Both wins came on the opening day at Kinjo Futo Station Square, where suffocating defense let the Filipinos control the tempo.

Young Roster Fuels Gilas 3×3’s Unbeaten Start

Nic Cabañero of the Biñan Tatak Gel team in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has powered the run, scoring seven points against Mongolia and eight more against Sri Lanka. His offensive punch has set the tone early in both outings.

Santo Tomas guard Koji Buenaflor and La Salle forward Luis Pablo have also chipped in timely buckets, spreading the scoring load. Their La Salle teammate Doy Dungo rounds out a roster that arrived in Nagoya with barely a month of formal preparation.

That short runway hasn’t hurt the team’s chemistry. Cabañero, Buenaflor, Pablo and Dungo all built rapport through the UAAP and other domestic tournaments, giving them a head start most short-notice squads don’t get.

Gilas 3×3 Eyes Quarterfinal Ticket Against Kazakhstan

The Philippines also arrives at the Kazakhstan match on an upward trajectory in the world rankings. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas confirmed the team has climbed to No. 27 in the global men’s 3×3 standings, a jump that reflects the squad’s hot start in Nagoya.

Still, the Filipinos are wary of a Kazakhstan side that beat Sri Lanka before falling to Mongolia to finish pool play at 1-1. “Dito sa 3×3, anybody can beat anyone, so we consider everyone a threat,” Pablo said.

That respect for the field matters most now, with a spot in the last eight on the line. A win would complete an unbeaten run through the elimination round and hand the Philippines an outright quarterfinal ticket.

The 3×3 team’s rise stands in sharp contrast to the struggles of the Philippines’ 5×5 squad, whose title defense collapsed against China. The defending Asian Games champions were routed, 105-61, in the preliminary round.

That 44-point defeat ended any hope of the Philippines repeating its gold-medal run from the Hangzhou Games. It also raised the stakes for the 3×3 squad to salvage the country’s Asian Games basketball campaign in Nagoya.