The Dominican Republic is making sure it will be fully prepared for its collision with Gilas Pilipinas this Friday on the opening day of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Dominican Republic coach Nestor Garcia knows what Gilas Pilipinas is capable of and will do everything to avoid an upset.
“Our first game is against you,” said Garcia in a report by Spin.ph following their arrival in Manila on Monday night.
“It’s [going to be] noisy,” he said, referring to the expected home crowd at the Philippine Arena.
The Karl-Anthony Towns-led team plans to address Gilas’ outside shooting, and of course, they are looking out for Jordan Clarkson.
“They have shooters that run the court. They have big guys. They try to attack every time. They are a very aggressive team,” he said.
“Clarkson is a star too. We know that he’s very dangerous. He can produce a lot of things,” said Garcia.
The last time Gilas played against the Dominican Republic was during the 2020 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Belgrade on July 1, 2021.
The Dominicans won, 94-67.
