Gilas goes twice-a-day in training ahead of WCQ Window 6

Coach Tim Cone will be going full-time with Gilas this week. PBA Images

By Ivan Saldajeno

PASIG—It's fight week for Gilas Pilipinas in the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, and to continuously push the tempo in practice with only a few days left before its two-game home stand, the national team will train twice a day from now on.

Assistant coach Tim Cone confirmed the development on Sunday night.

"I'm gonna be basically full-time with the Gilas team this whole week because we're going to be doing two-a-day practices starting Tuesday," the Ginebra head coach said following his team's game against Blackwater at the PhilSports Arena here.

In particular, he added, "We have a practice tomorrow night, and then we have two practices on Tuesday, and another two practices on Wednesday."

This means the players taken to the pool who are suiting up in the Japan B.League get more time to adapt to national team head coach Chot Reyes' system.

Apart from the weekly Monday practice last week, Reyes also held training sessions on Thursday and Saturday nights at the nearby Meralco Gym for Kiefer Ravena, younger brother Thirdy, Jordan Heading, Ray-Ray Parks, and Dwight Ramos to catch up in learning the plays.

Kiefer was the first to arrive from Japan on Monday, while the other B.League Asian imports returned home later in the week in time for the Thursday practice.

Gilas, meanwhile, is expected to hold a practice this coming Thursday at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, the day before the team battles Lebanon there in an expected grudge match.

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