Injury-hit Brownlee to miss Gilas’ upset bid vs Australia

MANILA, Philippines – A string of injuries will keep Justin Brownlee out of Gilas Pilipinas’ crucial clash against Australia in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) announced that the 38-year-old naturalized Filipino star will sit out the road game against the unbeaten Boomers in Perth on Monday, July 6.

Brownlee, according to the SBP, is nursing a hamstring strain and peroneal tendinopathy on his right leg and left knee swelling and cartilage defects.

The injuries may have taken a toll on Brownlee as he got limited to just 5 points in a heartbreaking 106-102 double overtime loss to New Zealand in Auckland on Friday, July 3 — the Tall Blacks’ suffocating defense making life more miserable for him.

Before the match against New Zealand, Brownlee did not see action in the Nationals’ tuneup games against National Basketball League clubs Manawatu Jets and Franklin Bulls, which both ended in blowout wins.

The Philippines will miss Brownlee’s production of 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 1.6 steals, and the attention he draws from opposing defenses.

As the Tall Blacks focused on stopping Brownlee, the offense opened up for the rest of the Gilas, with Juan Gomez de Liaño (23 points), Kevin Quiambao (23 points), and Carl Tamayo (17 points) all netting their highest scoring performances in this Asian Qualifiers.

Without Brownlee, Philippines head coach Tim Cone turns to his young players to step up against a vaunted Australia side that totes a 5-0 record in Group A and owns an average winning margin of a whopping 23.8 points. 

Although already through to the second round, Gilas needs every win possible as it lost three of its first five games — an inauspicious start to its bid of qualifying for the World Cup in 2027. – Rappler.com