By Ivan Saldajeno
TAGUIG—Coach Tim Cone admitted that he was far from satisfied with Gilas Pilipinas' performance on Thursday in a tune-up game against KBL team Ulsan.
Gilas had to grind it out for an 81-76 win against the Phoebus in their friendly held behind closed doors at the San Miguel Corporation basketball facility in Pasig.
Nevertheless, Cone saw the game as a gauge of what needs to be worked on one week before Gilas hosts Jordan and Iran in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers fourth window at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
"We won a close game. We didn't play well, but the game gave us a good indication of where we are and how far we have to go to get ready," Cone said.
While no stats were made available, some reels posted on social media confirmed that Kai Sotto played in the tune-up, marking his unofficial Gilas return.
With the frontline depleted for the upcoming window, Sotto's return would be of great help for Gilas.
